There have been some very misleading stories circulating on social media today about my costs as an MP. Here are the facts:
- Have I had a pay rise? No.
- Are my meals paid for? No.
- Did I claim the £10,000 in additional office expenses offered this summer? Not a penny.
Office Costs: North Norfolk was a swing seat in the 2019 General Election, ie. it changed from Liberal Democrat to Conservative. As a newly-elected MP, I did not inherit an office. Part of my first year's costs were therefore to set up a constituency office: renting new premises, signing a lease, furniture, basic PC computers, phone lines, broadband, software licences etc. Anyone who has visited the constituency office will know that it is far from being luxurious or opulent - it's a basic workspace so that my staff can do their jobs helping the hundreds of constituents who are in touch with us at any given time.
London Accommodation: MPs need to live close enough to Parliament to answer the call when the 'division bell' rings for votes, particularly during late-night sessions in the Commons. I do not have the luxury of owning property in London, and hotels are prohibitively expensive. The most cost-effective way to do my job is to rent a small flat in Westminster. My home is near Sheringham, in the heart of the constituency.
Travel: Generally speaking - as you'd expect - the further an MP's constituency is away from London, the higher their travel costs. I travel to London by car, having found that mileage is far less than travelling by train. I never claim for the London Congestion Charge as I don't think it's right to do so.
Excluding the cost of setting up my constituency office, as outlined above, my costs are below the £31,995 average for MPs in a similar position to me and at a similar distance from London. By the end of my first year in office, these costs will be broadly the same as those of my predecessor, Sir Norman Lamb. I realise that this may not satisfy my political opponents, but I do think it is important for everyone to be fully aware of the facts before embarking on a discussion about this subject.
