What Cumbria’s MPs claimed on accommodation and travel

CUMBRIA’S six MPs collectively claimed well-over a quarter of a million pound in expenses within a 12 month period. 

MPs John Stevenson, Mark Jenkinson, Trudy Harrison, Neil Hudson, Simon Fell and Tim Farron claimed a total of £330,896.17 between February 2021 – January 2022. 

The basic annual salary for an MP from 1 April 2022 is £84,144 but, MPs also receive expenses to cover the costs of running an office, employing staff, having somewhere to live in London or their constituency, and travelling between Parliament and their constituency. 

The average MP accommodation claims throughout the country stood at £18,264.83, whereas travel stands at £4,186.80 – however, often a varying figure based upon MPs location. 

We’ve categorised what Cumbrian MPs have been spending in relation to both travel and accommodation over a 12 month period. 

The deducted expenses figures below omits staffing costs in which expenses are also claimed for, it should be noted the variance outwith travel and accommodation to total expenses claimed is often attributed to office running costs. 

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In 2021/22, Workington’s MP Mark Jenkinson claimed the highest amount of expenses, at a total of £80,631.31. 

Of this, the largest share, £34,158.87, was spent on accommodation which was followed by travel claims of £24,105.12.

Carlisle’s MP John Stevenson claimed a total of £61,811.59. Of this, £28,004 amounted in accommodation claims with travel standing at £8,941.54. 

Conservative MP for Copeland Trudy Harrison claimed the least amount of expenses amongst Cumbrian MPs – with a total of £31,973.24 – £11,231.74 on travel, with £9,977.69 in accommodation claims. 

The second smallest claimant out of Cumbria’s MPs was Dr Neil Hudson, MP for Penrith and The Borders. 

Dr Hudson had a total of £34,231.85, with £14,929.67 being claimed on accommodation and £2,930.74 on travel. 

In South Cumbria, Tim Farron claimed a total of £67,780.15 – £13,216.78 on travel and a further £17,760.13 being claimed on accommodation. 

Simon Fell, MP for Barron in Furness, claimed a total of £54,408.03. £22,981 of this went to travel claims and £10,702 went on accommodation claims. 

READ MORE: Barrow MP’s staff claim 18p for ‘600-metre’ car journey 

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