Pudsey MP Stuart Andrew has said he will not be claiming the £10,000 offered to all MPs to cover additional office costs incurred as a result of the coronavirus.
Parliament’s expenses authority – Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) – has offered the money to buy additional equipment, such as laptops and printers, for staff having to work from home.
This comes on top of the £26,000 MPs can claim to cover office costs.
More than 162,000 people have signed a petition calling for MPs to be stripped of the allowance.
But Pudsey MP Stuart Andrew (Cons) has said neither he nor his team will be using the money. In a statement, he said:
“Given the very misleading reports circulating in the media about MP expenses, I would like to clarify my position on this.
“This £10,000 sum being reported has not been given to me – I do not have this money and will not be using it. MPs did not vote on or request this money and it was not expected.
“The independent organisation that monitors each expense we make have simply said that this funding is available should our staff need any equipment to work from home or other needs during this emergency.
“I am grateful to my team, who have all said that they will not be using this funding and neither will I.
“My team, like many other employees across the country, have adjusted without complaint to working extraordinary hours from their homes and are making use of their own equipment the best they can.
“Should my team need anything to help continue to support my constituents during this difficult time, I will personally provide this.”
