North East MPs’ expenses claims finally published

Jun 19 2009 by Adrian Pearson, The Journal

Go to www.journallive.co.uk/expenses for our special section on MPs' expenses. Find out everything your MP claimed back in our full list of expenses – and see our MPs expenses in pictures gallery – highlighting the more outlandish claims.

DAVID CLELLAND, Tyne Bridge

£237 for household items, curtains, towels and cleaning materials in March last year. Claimed £470 for an oriental rug and £1.99 for toilet roll. A pedal bin, tea towels and a blind have also been claimed on taxpayers by the Tyne Bridge MP. Another claim for £270 related to a unit to provide digital television reception and replacing a “worn out” video recorder.

JIM COUSINS Newcastle Central MP

Claimed nearly £10,000 on new doors, a bathroom and sanding pine floors.

He spent at least £3,820.40 on a bathroom. PVC doors were £4,185.39 while the removal of a carpet and repair and sanding of pine floors came in at £1,791.

Other expenses included 98p for a bulb, £125 for bed linen and £1,190 for a chest of drawers. He also claimed £455 for fencing, £78.46 for a shed and bin, and a £24.98 spade. Another bill was the cost of removing ivy from the garden £1,000.

JOHN CUMMINGS, Easington

Mr Cummings’ constituency has some of the most deprived neighbourhoods in the UK. His claims include cleaning bills regularly up to £220 a month, as well as frequently charging the taxpayer £400 a month to feed him. Included in his claims are a £1,113 bill for redecorating bedrooms in a house the taxpayers was helping pay for.

BILL ETHERINGTON, Sunderland North

Claimed for more than £305 after rats infested his home. He also spent £233.96 on two sets of ladders and a waste paper bin. A chest of drawers also cost the public £168 on top of £30.60 for replacement doorknobs.

Bedding and a toaster are also among the items on his expenses list, with a total cost of £112.92.

HELEN GOODMAN, Bishop Auckland

Ms Goodman regularly claimed for a £400 a month food bill and thousands of pounds a year on accommodation costs. Claims include £519 rent for a holiday cottage in Durham. She has also spent £1,210 on curtains and cushion covers.

DOUG HENDERSON, Newcastle North

During 2007 he also spent between £100 and £150 on cleaning each month, adding up to a total of £1,095.

In addition he claimed back £100 a month for “service or maintenance” to his home. And he spent £400 on food every month between April 2007 and March 2008, except for August, when he claimed back £200.

STEPHEN HEPBURN, Jarrow

A washing machine cost the taxpayer £450 when the Jarrow MP made his expenses claims. He claimed £3,850 solely on food in the last year – paid for entirely by the public. And he also charged the taxpayer £1,222 for office equipment.

SHARON HODGSON Gateshead East and Washington West

Claims £400 a month for food and £650 for a fridge.

The taxpayer also forked out £160 for her vacuum cleaner, around £600 on a bed and mattress, £50 on a microwave, £47 on a chair and £37 on a toaster.

The fridge was the second claimed for by the MP – in 2005/06 the taxpayer furnished her with a £250 fridge freezer. Also claimed £310 for a washing machine and £152 for electrical goods.

KEVAN JONES, North Durham

Billed the taxpayer for a £1,913 carpet

The taxpayer picked up monthly direct debit bills of £11 for Mr Jones’ TV licence and £33 for a gas service contract. He also filled in expenses forms for £2,075 of food between May 2007 and March 2008. But Mr Jones only claimed back £33 for cleaning for the whole year.

FRASER KEMP, Houghton and Washington East

Often claimed the full £400 a month food costs, and cleaning costs of up to £200 a month.

Previously exposed for claiming for two DVD players, two flat-screen televisions and 16 bed sheets for his one-bedroom London flat.

Also claimed 37p for a spoon. Claims additional furniture cost less frequently than some MPs but bills include a £249 bedroom chest and £887 legal fees. Office costs include regular taxi bills.

DAVID MILIBAND South Shields

Last year he claimed £425 for cleaning, £70 for window cleaning and £441.80 for gardening. Also claimed £412 to have a chair recovered and £200 for a pram.

He claimed £5,838 of building work in his front garden, including replacing a garden wall, putting in a hexagonal paved drive and removing a tree. Mr Miliband claimed £2,550 for furniture.

CHRIS MULLIN, Sunderland South

£16.07 submission for a desk tidy, wall clock, batteries and paper for his Parliamentary office.

Taxpayers also footed the bill for his black-and-white £45.50 TV licence, and £378 for his daily newspapers.

To clean his carpets he submitted a £34.42 invoice and to install beach wood shelves cost the public £220.

DENIS MURPHY, Wansbeck

He claimed £4,000 for food – the maximum allowance of £400 each month for 10 months. He regularly claimed £200 a month in cleaning bills. Items of note are £218 in 2007 for bedding and two filing cabinets.

In 2006 he claimed £429.92 for a dressing table, bedside chest and a double wardrobe. In March 2006 he claimed £963.55 for a rug and curtains and bedding and curtains. In March 2005 he submitted a claim for £1,200 for repairing part of his hallway and redecorating.

PHIL WILSON, Sedgefield

The region’s newest MP, replacing Tony Blair when he stood down to make way for Gordon Brown in 2007. His first year of claims include £487 covering bedroom furniture and regular claims for more than £155 for storage.

:: Go to www.journallive.co.uk/expenses for our special section on MPs' expenses. Find out everything your MP claimed back in our full list of expenses – and see our MPs expenses in pictures gallery – highlighting the more outlandish claims.

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