When he was elected in December 2019, Mr Loder’s claims were the lowest of the five Dorset MPs. It has been revealed that now Chris Loder MP’s expenses are the highest of the five.
Figures from the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) reveal that West Dorset MP Chris Loder claimed higher business costs and expenses than any other new MP during the the 2019-20 financial year, costing the taxpayer around £71,000.
Mr Loder’s costs were the highest of all 156 new MPs elected in December 2019, and well above the average of £40,869 for the new intake of members.
The West Dorset MP cited the high cost of setting up a new office and buying equipment for staff, as well as having a one of the largest constituencies in the UK.
He spent £60,871.16 on office running costs, including £51,704.97 on staff wages and £9,166.19 on other office expenditures, plus £5,250.70 on accommodation, and a further £4,443.61 on travel and subsistence. His five most expensive types of costs were:
- Payroll – costing £52,607.97
- Hotels in London – £5,335.00
- Buying equipment – £2,004.02
- Rail travel – £1,769.35
- Stationery and printing – £1,160.00
Talking to the Dorset Echo, Chris Loder MP said: “The costs of running an MP’s office are primarily for staff and office costs in running a base in the constituency and one in Westminster. I welcome the scrutiny of these costs, as it will show financial prudence with spending £15.5k less than the budget for this period, whilst setting up a completely new office from day one with a full staff team in place. West Dorset is not only the largest constituency in Dorset, it is one of the largest in the UK, and has ten per cent more electors than the average UK constituency.”
To read the Dorset Echo’s full comparison of expenses – Click HERE.
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