Mitchell claims almost £135k in expenses
The Labour MP most critical of the accountancy profession has emerged with expenses at the higher end of the Commons' league.
Link:MPs fear voter backlash over expenses
Greater Grimsby’s Austin Mitchell claimed £134,789 last year compared with Chancellor Gordon Brown’s £130,292, whose own expenses were higher than most similarly-placed ministers and their shadows.
Tory Shadow Chancellor Oliver Letwin claimed £124,104 and Lib Dem Shadow Chancellor Vince Cable was the cheapest at £117,249.
Financial Secretary Dawn Primarolo claimed £110,089 and Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt notched up £121,598.
An average of £118,437 was claimed by each MP.
Among accountancy MPs, veteran Tory David Heathcoat Amory received £99,278, Tory Nick Gibb £117,198, Tory Mark Hoban £116,781 and Labour’s Harry Cohen £123,718.
Remarkably, Brown perfectly legally claimed £14,304 in Additional Costs associated with having to live in London with a constituency in Fife – despite being supplied with an official flat ‘over the shop’ in Downing Street.
He also had high travel costs – £14,304 – but a lot less than Mitchell’s £18,299 despite Mitchell’s constituency being a lot nearer Westminster. Cohen’s was £3,280.
There was also huge variation in postage – with Cable charging a massive £13,417 and Cohen charging just £949.