This is how much each Glasgow MP cost the taxpayer in 2020-21

Glasgow South

Glasgow South MP Stewart McDonald cost the taxpayer around £206,000 last year, new figures reveal.

Figures from the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority show the Scottish National Party MP’s total business costs for the 2020-21 financial year were £205,815.17.

The MP’s costs were down from £208,343.24 the year before, but above the average for all Members of Parliament, of £203,880.

By comparison, Darren Henry, a Conservative MP for Broxtowe in England, had costs of £280,900 last year, while Philip Hollobone, the member for Kettering, also in England, had just £80,700.

Stewart McDonald, who was elected in May 2015, spent £174,200 on office running costs in 2020-21, including £156,600 on staff wages and £17,500 on other office expenditures.

And he spent £23,000 of his accommodation budget (of £23,000), and a further £8,100 on travel and subsistence.

The total costs of MPs last year rose by 4%, 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.

IPSA’s chairman, Richard Lloyd, said compliance with the rules was at 99.7% last year.

He added: “By far the largest area of spending is to pay for the salaries of MPs’ staff.

“In the last financial year MPs and their staff changed how they work to provide their constituents with a service during the pandemic.

“We enabled MPs’ staff to work from home, while the amount spent on parliamentary business travel fell to reflect different working patterns.”

The IPSA figures also reveal the 157 individual claims made by Stewart McDonald in 2020-21, with the most expensive single claim being for staff payroll – £139,528.59.

At the other end of the scale, the smallest one-off expense the 35-year-old claimed was £1.00 for ctm rail booking fee.

The average cost of an MP was up 29%, from £158,103, in 2019-20.

Kit Malthouse was the most expensive MP attending the Cabinet in 2020-21, with total costs of £244,312.

This was compared to £178,406 for Prime Minister Boris Johnson and £168,109 for Sir Keir Starmer.

John O’Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “It’s important MPs have the resources to do their jobs, but many taxpayers will be worried about the soaring cost of politics.

“The electorate expects politicians to stay grounded and keep costs under control, particularly given the Covid pandemic saw many MPs and their staff work from home.

“With taxpayers facing a cost of living crisis, politicians should be doing their utmost to keep their spending down.”

MPs’ costs are usually broken down into dozens of categories, with staff pay almost always the largest expense.

Stewart McDonald’s five largest types of costs were:

1) Payroll – costing £139,528.59

2) Rent – £25,927.00

3) Pooled Staffing Services – £11,100.00

4) Bought-in services – £6,040.00

5) Rail – £3,821.10

He also spent £935.01 on a working from home allowance.

Glasgow North

The Glasgow North MP is among the most expensive in Scotland.

Glasgow North MP Patrick Grady claimed more in business costs and expenses than most MPs in Scotland last year, new figures reveal, costing the taxpayer around £249,000 last year.

Figures from the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority show the Scottish National Party MP’s total business costs for the 2020-21 financial year were £249,168.18.

The Glasgow North MP’s costs were up from £215,581.76 the year before, and were one of the highest of all members of parliament in Scotland.

By comparison, Philip Hollobone, a Conservative MP for Kettering in England, had costs of just £80,700 last year, while Darren Henry, the member for Broxtowe, also in England, had £280,900.

The average across the UK was £203,880.

Patrick Grady, who was elected in May 2015, spent £219,500 on office running costs in 2020-21, including £191,800 on staff wages and £27,700 on other office expenditures.

And he spent £21,900 of his accommodation budget (of £23,000), and a further £7,700 on travel and subsistence.

The total costs of MPs last year rose by 4%, 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.

IPSA’s chairman, Richard Lloyd, said compliance with the rules was at 99.7% last year.

He added: “By far the largest area of spending is to pay for the salaries of MPs’ staff.

“In the last financial year MPs and their staff changed how they work to provide their constituents with a service during the pandemic.

“We enabled MPs’ staff to work from home, while the amount spent on parliamentary business travel fell to reflect different working patterns.”

The IPSA figures also reveal the 323 individual claims made by Patrick Grady in 2020-21, with the most expensive single claim being for staff payroll – £186,235.15.

At the other end of the scale, the smallest one-off expense the 41-year-old claimed was 47p for postage and couriers.