13 Lanarkshire MSPs claimed over £313k in expenses

Dec 3 2009 by Alastair McNeill, Hamilton Advertiser

THIRTEEN Lanarkshire MSPs claimed £313,547.22 in expenses last financial year.

Former Scottish health minister and MSP for Strathaven Andy Kerr was the highest claimant.

He racked up £35,361.93 in the 12 months from April last year.

Second in the county expenses ‘league’ table was Central Scotland list MSP Alex Neil who claimed £29,243.21.

The lowest claim was made by Mr Neil’s Central Scotland SNP colleague John Wilson at £14,179.31.

Mr Kerr, a Labour shadow minister who lives during the week in a flat in Edinburgh, claimed £5359.12 for accommodation allowance and £9163.02 in members support allowance, which includes payment for things such as office rent, mobile phone bills, car parking and IT.

His office costs were at £7817.34 and his motor mileage claim totalled £3628.77.

He said this week: “I run a busy constituency office in East Kilbride Civic Centre which serves the people of the town well.

“These resources go towards supporting that office as well as my time in Edinburgh where I represent the people of East Kilbride.

“The allowances system at Holyrood is open and transparent, and I am happy to discuss with constituents any issue they may have in relation to this.”

Mr Neil said: “These expenses all go with the job and are not going into my pocket.

“I’m a list member and I cover an area stretching from Kilmarnock, including the whole of North Lanarkshire, most of South Lanarkshire and Falkirk.

“It involves a lot of travelling around the constituency. I also live in Ayr and that’s why the mileage is high.

“The highest expenses claimed are by the MSPs who are doing the most work.”

Conservative Central Scotland MSP Margaret Mitchell claimed a total of £27,477.14 - which included £4636.06 in travel, £6379.11 in office running costs and £14,126.03 in members support allowance.

She said this week that her expenses were “there for anyone to see.”

Hamilton South Labour MSP Tom McCabe claimed £21, 262.97.

Of that figure Mr McCabe claimed £5207.46 in motor mileage.

The sum, he said, was for regular trips travelling back and forward to the Edinburgh Parliament. Mr McCabe added: “We just claim what we need to claim”.

Mr McCabe’s Labour colleagues, Hamilton North and Bellshill MSP Michael McMahon claimed £22,471.01, Clydesdale MSP Karen Gillon claimed £29,243.21, and Motherwell and Wishaw MSP, and former First Minister, Jack McConnell £26,300.39.

SNP list MSP Linda Fabiani claimed for £21,233.49. This included £8067.57 for accommodation costs, £1731.80 for running her office and £5468.10 in members support allowance.

Lib Dem Central Scotland MSP Hugh O’Donnell claimed £19,640.59. This included £9599.72 in members support allowance, £2579.88 in travel and £3978.47 in office cost provision.

The SNP’s Christina McKelvie, who represents the same region, claimed for £17,502.10, including £5188.15 in members support allowance, £3226.16 in travel and £1975.01 office costs.

South of Scotland list MSP Aileen Campbell, whose constituency covers Clydesdale claimed a total of £25,982.60.