ESSEX'S MPs claimed almost £4million in expenses in the last financial year.
The expense bill for the county's 18 all-Conservative MPs totalled nearly £3.9million in the 2022-23 financial year, records from the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority reveal.
The basic salary for an MP last year was £84,144 a year, which was increased by just under three per cent in April this year, while those with Cabinet positions receive an extra £67,505 a year.
Staffing accounts for the majority of MPs' expense claims, with payroll totalling almost 87 per cent of the Essex MPs' expense bills, leaving more than £509,000 split between other categories including accommodation, travel, and office costs.
What can MPs claim expenses for?
On average, MPs employ four full-time equivalent staff members to assist them and help their constituents, so the staffing budget is by far the biggest.
The second-largest budget is for office costs. MPs have the discretion to decide how to spend their budget but common expenses include rent, equipment, and stationery.
All MPs outside of London can also claim expenses towards the cost of staying in either their constituency or in the capital. This can cover the cost of rent and bills or hotels.
Travel expenses can be claimed for MPs to travel between Westminster and London, around their constituency, and within the UK and across Europe for parliamentary purposes.
The Essex MPs with the biggest expense accounts (not including payroll)
1. Dame Eleanor Laing
Dame Eleanor Laing, the MP for Epping Forest and deputy speaker, had the largest expense account in the 2022-23 financial year, claiming £47,079.79, excluding staffing costs.
Unlike many of her colleagues, all of these expenses fall under the office costs category.
This includes £159 for a TV licence for her constituency office and £779 to buy a new iPhone.
2. Sir John Whittingdale
Sir John Whittingdale, the MP for Maldon who also holds ministerial positions in the science and culture departments, was not far behind with claims totalling £45,754.65.
The majority of this was rent totalling £26,130 for his personal accommodation.
Sir John reclaimed £955 for congestion charges and toll roads, £1,748 for an iPad Pro and keyboard, and £1,399 for an Apple laptop.
3. Kemi Badenoch
Saffron Walden MP and Business Secretary Kemi Badeonch made non-staffing claims totalling £45,048.01.
More than £30,000 of this was for accommodation, including a £756 claim for council tax, and a nominal £55 for taxis.
4. Vicky Ford
Chelmsford MP Vicky Ford's expense bill totalled £44,949.35, excluding payroll for her staff.
About £23,000 of this was for accommodation, while £18,861 was claimed for office costs including £6,921 in rent for her constituency office.
5. Sir Bernard Jenkin
Harwich and North Essex MP Sir Bernard Jenkin's non-payroll expenses in the last financial year totalled £40,739.30.
His office costs included subscriptions to New Scientist magazine, and the Independent, Scotsman, Mail, Guardian, and Sun newspapers, but sadly not his local newspapers the Daily Gazette and Harwich & Manningtree Standard.
6. Will Quince
Will Quince, the MP for Colchester who recently resigned from his ministerial role, made expense claims totalling £37,243.61except his payroll costs.
This included a £4.50 parking charge at Colchester Hospital and £3.20 to park in Colchester city centre.
7. Anna Firth
The non-staffing expenses for Anna Firth, the MP for Southend West, totalled £34,726.19.
Claims included £1,265.20 for travel, as well as a subscription to her local newspaper, the Echo.
8. Giles Watling
Clacton MP Giles Watling claimed £33,172.82 in non-staffing expenses in the last financial year.
This included £120 for a new desk in his constituency office and almost £17,000 on hotel stays.
9. Sir James Duddridge
Rochford and Southend East MP Sir James Duddridge, who has announced he will be stepping down at the next General Election, made expense claims totalling £31371.47, not including his payroll costs.
This included £1,254.76 in train tickets. Like his neighbouring MP Anna Firth he also claimed for a subscription to his local newspaper.
10. James Cleverly
New Home Secretary and Braintree MP claimed £29,239.86, excluding his staffing costs.
His expense claims included the council tax on his constituency home and more than £1,800 in stationary and printing costs.
11. Jackie Doyle-Price
The expense bill for Thurrock MP Jackie Doyle-Price was £23,106.35, excluding her payroll costs.
Almost £800 was claimed for flight tickets, while £1,887 was spent at Apple in December 2022.
12. John Baron
Basildon and Billericay MP John Baron's non-staffing claims totalled £21,924.13.
This included a £700 payment to a removal company during an office move and £68.99 to redirect the post from his old office to his new one.
13. Robert Halfon
Robert Halfon, the MP for Harlow, made expense claims totalling £20,591.72 excluding payroll for his staff.
This included £529.20 to pay for his constituency office to be cleaned.
14. Stephen Metcalfe
South Basildon and East Thurrock MP Stephen Metcalfe claimed expenses totalling £16,568.51 excluding salaries for his staff.
Like Dame Eleanor Laing, this was made up purely of office costs including rent of £6,900 and £70 for a constituency surgery advert.
15. Mark Francois
Mark Francois, the MP for Rayleigh and Wickford, claimed £13,415.14 in expenses excluding his staffing costs.
This was made up of £8,922 in hotel costs and £44.11 in train tickets, with the remainder made up of office costs and travel for his staff.
16. Dame Priti Patel
Witham MP and former Home Secretary Dame Priti Patel had the third lowest expense bill, with her non-staffing expenses totalling £11,122.59.
Her claims included just over £10,000 in office costs, including £963 to buy a new office computer, with the rest of her expenses covering travel for her staff.
17. Rebecca Harris
Rebecca Harris, the MP for Castle Point, was the Essex MP with the second lowest non-staffing expenses in 2022-23, with claims totalling £9,958.89.
Like Stephen Metcalfe and Dame Eleanor Laing, her claims were solely for office costs, including £825 a month in rent.
18. Alex Burghart
Finally, Alex Burghart, the MP for Brentwood had the smallest expense bill of the 18 Essex MPs, with non-staffing costs amounting to £3,364.10.
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