NEW FIGURES have revealed how much Oxfordshire MPs cost the taxpayer last year.
The data comes from the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority and reveals Oxfordshire MP’s total business costs for the 2020-21 financial year.
In total, Oxfordshire MP’s cost the taxpayer £878,000.
Anneliese Dodds, MP for East Oxford, had the most expensive business costs out of the county’s six MPs.
The business costs of the Labour MP and Shadow Women and Equalities Secretary amounted to £211,330.39 in the last financial year – up from £183,833.01 spent in the year before.
This means Ms Dodds business costs were above the average for UK MPs which currently stands at £203,880.
Oxford West and Abingdon’s Lib Dem MP Layla Moran and Banbury’s Conservative MP Victoria Prentis also both had business costs that were also above the average MP’s costs amounting to £211,000.
The remaining Tory MPs, including Wantage MP David Johnston, Henley MP John Howell, and Witney MP Robert Courts all had business costs below the average.
Mr Johnston, who was elected in 2019, had the lowest business costs, amounting to £151,000 last year.
The total costs of MPs last year rose by 4 per cent to £132.5 million, with almost £300,000 going on hotel claims for just 49 members.
Business costs are the essential costs incurred by MPs while carrying out their parliamentary duties including staffing, office costs, and travel.
MPs cannot claim for personal costs, such as food and drink, during their normal working day, and all claims must be compliant with IPSA rules and accompanied by evidence.
Here is the full breakdown:
Anneliese Dodds - Oxford East MP:
The Labour MP cost the tax payer around £217,000 last year.
The MP's costs were up from £184,833.01 the year before, and above the average for all Members of Parliament, of £203,880.
Ms Dodds, who is also Shadow Secretary of State for Women and Equalities, spent £203,900 on office running costs in 2020-21, including £179,300 on staff wages and £24,600 on other office expenditures.
And she spent £10,200 of her accommodation budget (of £13,000), and a further £3,100 on travel and subsistence.
Layla Moran - Oxford West and Abingdon MP:
The Lib Dem MP cost the tax payer around £211,000 last year.
Ms Moran, who was elected in June 2017, spent £194,200 on office running costs in 2020-21, including £169,600 on staff wages and £24,600 on other office expenditures.
And she spent £15,900 of her accommodation budget (of £23,000), and a further £1,200 on travel and subsistence.
Victoria Prentis - Banbury MP:
The Tory MP cost the tax payer around £211,000 last year.
The MP's costs were up from £198,602.19 the year before, and above the average for all Members of Parliament, of £203,880.
Minister of State, who was elected in May 2015, spent £180,900 on office running costs in 2020-21, including £159,600 on staff wages and £21,300 on other office expenditures.
And she spent £21,700 of her accommodation budget (of £28,400), and a further £7,900 on travel and subsistence.
Robert Courts - Witney MP:
The Conservative MP cost the taxpayer around £200,000.
The MP's costs were up from £188,704.82 the year before, and below the average for all Members of Parliament, of £203,880.
By comparison, Darren Henry, a fellow Tory MP for Broxtowe, had costs of £280,900 last year, while Philip Hollobone, the member for Kettering, had just £80,700.
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Robert Courts, who was elected in October 2016, spent £175,600 on office running costs in 2020-21, including £159,300 on staff wages and £16,300 on other office expenditures.
And he spent £21,600 of his accommodation budget (of £33,900), and a further £2,600 on travel and subsistence.
John Howell - Henley MP:
The Tory MP cost taxpayer's £163,000 last year.
The MP's costs were down from £168,417.43 the year before, and well below the average for all Members of Parliament, of £203,880.
By comparison, Darren Henry, a fellow Tory MP for Broxtowe, had costs of £280,900 last year, while Philip Hollobone, the member for Kettering, had just £80,700.
Mr Howell, spent £142,400 on office running costs in 2020-21, including £130,200 on staff wages and £12,200 on other office expenditures.
And he spent £20,100 of his accommodation budget (of £23,000), but nothing on travel and subsistence.
David Johnson - Wantage MP:
The Tory MP cost the taxpayer around £151,000.
The MP's costs were up from £12,163.17 the year before, but well below the average for all Members of Parliament, of £203,880.
Mr Johnston, who was elected in December 2019, spent £133,800 on office running costs in 2020-21, including £127,300 on staff wages and £6,600 on other office expenditures.
And he spent £15,900 of his accommodation budget (of £16,100), and a further £1,000 on travel and subsistence.
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