Local MPs expenses claims total over £438,000

Paul Rowen MP

Lib Dem MP for Rochdale Paul Rowen has been revealed as a far more expensive MP than Labour MP for Heywood and Middleton, Jim Dobbin after claiming £153,338 in expenses in comparison to Mr Dobbin's £127,927. Mr Rowen's bill is £17,488 more than the average £135,850 whereas Mr Dobbin's bill is £7923 less than the average. Mr Rowen does fair slightly better than Oldham East and Saddleworth Labour MP Phil Woolas, whose constituency includes Milnrow and Newhey; Mr Woolas claimed £21,212 more than the average - £157,062.

Mr Rowen's expenses claim for staying away from home at £22,110 was well over double Mr Dobbin's at £10,547 and Mr Rowen's staff running costs at £28,850 were also significantly more than Mr Dobbin's at £16,575. Mr Rowen’s travel costs at £10,983 are also considerably more than Mr Dobbin's £7,917 but dwarfed by Mr Woolas' at £23,430.

By far the biggest differential is in postage costs with Mr Dobbin not claming a penny, Mr Woolas claiming £803 and Mr Rowen weighing in with a very heavy bag for the postman claiming ten times the amount Mr Woolas claims at £8,378, the equivalent of 25,276 stamps.

Whilst MPs argue that expenses are not income and it would be illegal for them to keep any money, Matthew Elliott of pressure group the TaxPayers’ Alliance said: “No wonder voters have little respect for politicians when they see so many MPs with their snouts in the trough.”