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Cost of average MP rose by 29 per cent during covid pandemic
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Thursday afternoon brought new figures on MPs' expenses for 2020-21. As soon as the data was released our research team pored over the data to find out how elected representatives were using taxpayers' cash.Â
Just two hours later we revealed the average cost of an MP has increased by 29 per cent over the covid pandemic, from £157,747 in 2019-20 to £203,880 in 2020-21. Furthermore, the total cost of MPs’ expenses was up 4.6 per cent on the previous year to £132.5 million, including claims for travel and food of over £2 million.Â
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The member for Broxtowe, Darren Henry, is Britain’s most expensive MP, with a total cost of £280,936. The least expensive MP was Philip Hollobone, the member for Kettering, whose cost came to £80,709.Â
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.Â
With taxpayers facing a cost of living crisis, politicians should be doing their utmost to keep their spending down.
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TaxPayers' Alliance Supporter Survey
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The new year has barely begun, but at the TaxPayers' Alliance we're already fighting hard for British taxpayers. Once again we'll be campaigning on a range of key economic issues throughout 2022
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We want to know which areas of tax policy interest you most and how you can get involved. That's why if you haven't done so already we'd like you to complete a short survey - it only takes a couple of minutes!
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TaxPayers' Alliance in the news
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Billions lost to covid fraud
There was disbelief after we learned that £4.3 billion of taxpayers' cash was lost to fraud and will be written off by HMRC. In total it is estimated that criminals stole £5.8 billion of public money from covid recovery schemes and only £1.5 billion will be recovered. Speaking to LBC presenter Nick Ferrari on his morning show I was adamant that lessons must be learned.
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It's fair to say that a certain amount of fraud was to be expected. But this is a huge sum of money that is effectively going down the drain. This cash could have been used to fund everything from new hospitals to schools and maybe even help to avert the pending national insurance rise.
Ministers must do everything possible to ensure this never happens again. Click here to listen to a clip from the interview.
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The end of the line for BBC licence fee?
Time may be running out on the BBC licence fee after culture secretary Nadine Dorries announced her plans to scrap the TV tax by 2028. She subsequently told the House of Commons that the charge will be frozen for the next two years.
This is a welcome step forward for taxpayers as our digital campaign manager Joe Ventre made clear in his comments on GBNews.
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Speaking to presenter Tom Harwood, Joe said, "the end of the hated TV tax may well be in sight" and welcomed the acknowledgement by Ms Dorries that it places a significant burden on many households.
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Civil servants determined to keep working from home
Analysis by the Mail has unearthed large amounts of spending on "chairs, laptops and IT services for home workers, with some contracts running until the end of 2025." According to the paper, it found 20 contracts worth nearly £5 million related to helping staff to work from home.
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The TPA revealed last year that the cost of premium office space in Whitehall is astronomical. As our media campaign manager Danielle Boxall explained in her comments to the Mail, "Taxpayers won't take kindly to footing the bill for empty offices. Paying for the prime location of Whitehall pen-pushers costs a small fortune, with operating costs alone running into the hundreds of millions of pounds."
We're calling on ministers to move civil service jobs out of London - this is both good for taxpayers and getting the government out into the real world!
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Paws for thought: Absurd VAT distinctions for animals
There is no end to the absurdities of the UK’s VAT system. But one chapter not yet written is that of VAT on pets and animal products.Â
As our Investigations Campaign Manager, Elliot Keck explores this week with an eye-watering and sleep-inducing 11 pages, our VAT system for animals and animal products seems purpose-built to make the sale of pets, pet food and animal products as difficult and confusing as possible.
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The real minefield in VAT on animals and animal products comes in the distinction between food for animals and pet food, and between pet food and food for working animals. What this means is that food to be fed to animals is theoretically zero-rated, except if it’s canned, packaged or prepared pet food, packaged food for wild birds, or biscuits and meal for cats and dogs. Which, in essence, sounds like all animal food!
By simplifying the tax code, we could make life easier for all involved in the sale and purchase of animals - whether they’re pets or farm animals. This would be a win for those on both two legs and four! Click here to read more.
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Yet another costly council refurbishment
Residents of Milton Keynes must be sick to the back teeth of the wasteful ways the council is spending their cash. Previously we've seen money spent on grass rooftops for bus stops and even putting moss on the wall at the council offices as part of an £11 million interior refit.
But not content with spending such a large sum of cash, the local authority is set to splurge another £1 million doing up its headquarters. All this comes at a time when council tax is expected to increase by 3.75 per cent and send Band D bills to over £1,900.
Local authorities need to stop splashing the cash on vanity projects and instead focus on frontline services. The TaxPayers' Alliance will continue to call out profligate councils.
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Harry Fone
Grassroots Campaign Manager
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