What is Allowed?

MP’s are permitted a budget to pay for office costs accrued in undertaking their parliamentary duties, such as printer ink and headed notepaper etc.

What I Claim:

Between May 2010 (the General Election) and April 2014 I saved the taxpayer £67,083.52 through underspending on my Office budget.

MP’s buy an item for their office, for example printer ink, they then claim for that sum, provide a receipt and make a claim. The sum is then compensated back to the MP.

I claimed what I needed to run an efficient office. However, I have never ‘maxed out’ my office budget or renewed things unnecessarily where there is nothing wrong with the old one- just because there is money in the budget. My laptop computer is almost five years old for example.

I have saved the taxpayer large sums of money by underspending on this budget. Here is the Maths:

Financial Year 2010-11

·         Max Office Budget: £19, 302.95

·         Michael claimed: £3,377.76

·         Total amount saved for taxpayer: £15,924.29

2011-12

·         Max Office Budget: £21,500

·         Michael claimed: £5,416.60

·         Total amount saved for taxpayer: £16,083.40

2012-13

·         Max Office Budget: £22,200

·         Michael claimed: £4,663.60

·         Total amount saved for taxpayer: £17,536.40

2013-14

·         Max Office Budget: £22,750

·         Michael claimed: £5,210.57

·         Total amount saved for taxpayer: £17,539.43