James Sunderland MP cost the taxpayer around £50,000 in his first financial year in the job, new figures reveal.
Figures from the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority show Conservative MP James Sunderland's total business costs for the 2019-20 financial year were £50,096.08.
The Bracknell MP's costs were well above the average for the other 155 new members of parliament elected in December 2019, of £40,869.
By comparison, Chris Loder, Conservative MP for West Dorset, who also joined the House of Commons in the most recent election, has cost £70,565. But, Kim Johnson, Labour MP for Liverpool, Riverside, just £7,391.
For those elected before December 2019, Speaker Lindsay Hoyle has cost the most (£259,057) and Philip Hollobone, Conservative MP for Kettering, the least (£78,960).
Tory MP James Sunderland spent £46,896.51 on office running costs in 2019-20, including £34,942.76 on staff wages and £11,953.75 on other office expenditures.
The Bracknell MP spent all of his accommodation budget (of £2,662.01), and a further £537.56 on travel and subsistence.
The total cost of MPs last year rose by 7 per cent to £127.6 million – including £5.58 million on travel and subsistence claims, and at least £718,700 on hotel claims – though 2019-20 does include more MPs as a result of new members following the election.
John O’Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: "While MPs must have the resources to do their jobs, many taxpayers will be worried about the growing cost of politics.
“The electorate expects politicians to stay grounded and keep costs under control, particularly the millions spent on travel and overnight expenses.
“With the economy and public finances in such dire straits, limiting their expenses claims where possible would be a welcome way for MPs to show that we’re all in it together.”
The IPSA figures also reveal the individual claims made by James Sunderland in 2019-20.
The most expensive single claim, outside of annual staff pay, was £2,788.72 for stationery and printing.
At the other end of the scale, the smallest one-off expense he claimed was £1.32 for stationery and printing.
Bracknell MP James Sunderland said: "Of the £49k published by IPSA attributable to my office for FY19/20, £35k of this is absorbed by routine staff costs.
"Of the £14k that is left, £11k is attributable to initial set up costs for my office, which is expected for any new MP, and the remaining £3k on costs incurred in fulfilling my normal duties. These include accommodation charges in London at a budget B&B, train travel and mobile phone costs for my staff. A simple comparison will reveal that my claims sit firmly at the lower end of all MPs".
The IPSA said the preparations for a General Election and the pandemic had had a significant impact on their work during the 2019-20 financial year, and on Parliament.
MPs' costs are usually broken down into dozens of categories, with staff pay almost always the largest expense.
James Sunderland's five most expensive types of costs were:
1) Payroll – costing £34,527.26
2) Stationery and printing – £4,172.57
3) Hotels in London – £2,662.01
4) Rent – £2,018.50
5) Buying mobile phone equipment – £1,928.98
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