MPs' expenses cost £829,000

Yesterday's publication of members' allowances for 2006-7 showed the county's six MPs claimed £829,631 between them, a rise of £51,149 on the £778,482 they claimed in 2005-6.

The figure also includes money for London homes, staff salaries and computers.

The biggest spender in Oxfordshire was Oxford West and Abingdon MP Dr Evan Harris, who claimed £147,916, including £21,269 for accommodation in London during the week, £82,462 for staff costs, £4,909 for car mileage and £7,442 for rail fares.

He said: "I do travel backwards and forwards to be in my constituency as much as possible, and I sometimes try to get back to have extra meetings in the week, while other MPs stay in London.

"MPs do very well in terms of salary and pension provision and the substantial part of our expenses is how much we pay our research staff.

"I think researchers should be paid decent amounts."

Dr Harris was closely followed by Oxford East MP Andrew Smith, who claimed £146,125, including £8,606 on postage and £3,916 on mileage.

In third place was Conservative Party leader and Witney MP David Cameron, who claimed £143,385 - £7,860 more than Prime Minister Gordon Brown - including £20,563 on London housing and £12,775 on postage and stationery.

His travel expenses were £950 in car mileage and a £20 rail fare - but nothing for his bicycle riding. As Leader of the Opposition, he also enjoys the use of an official car. A spokesman for Mr Cameron said: "The postage is quite high for all high-profile politicians, that's the nature of it.

"David works incredibly hard and he's so strict on his allowances. All of it is spent very wisely and carefully to help his constituents."

Wantage MP Ed Vaizey came next, with an allowance bill of £136,501. He was followed by Henley MP Boris Johnson, on £134,306, and Banbury MP Tony Baldry, who claimed £121,398.

The figures, published by the House of Commons, showed the UK's 644 MPs claimed a total of £87.6m in allowances last year - a like-for-like rise of about five per cent on the sum for the previous 12 months.

The MP with the highest claim was international development minister Shahid Malik, the Labour MP for Dewsbury, in West Yorkshire, with expenses of £185,421.

The lowest was Philip Hollobone, Tory MP for Kettering, in Northamptonshire, who claimed £44,551.

The biggest postage bill was run up by Labour MP Siobhain McDonagh (Mitcham and Morden), who spent £35,207 on stamps and another £13,900 on stationery.

Matthew Elliott, of low tax pressure group the TaxPayers' Alliance, said that MPs should be "ashamed of themselves". He said: "Families are struggling to pay higher tax bills, while MPs are spending more and more of our money on themselves each year.

"No wonder voters have little respect for politicians, when they see so many MPs with their snouts in the trough."

WHAT YOUR MP CLAIMED

Andrew Smith (Labour, Oxford East)

1. Accommodation: £21,657

2. Office costs: £24,328

3. Staff costs: £83,308

4. Travel: £4,076

5. Stationery: £12,756

Total: £146,125

Evan Harris (Liberal Democrat, Oxford West and Abingdon)

1. Accommodation: £21,269

2. Office costs: £25,247

3. Staff costs: £82,462

4. Travel: £13,913

5. Stationery: £5,025

Total: £147,916

David Cameron (Conservative, Witney)

1. Accommodation: £20,563

2. Office costs: £16,363

3. Staff costs: £91,351

4. Travel: £1,293

5. Stationery: £13,815

Total: £143,385

Tony Baldry (Conservative, Banbury)

1. Accommodation: £2,596

2. Office costs: £21,916

3. Staff costs: £85,788

4. Travel: £4,656

5. Stationery: £6,442

Total: £121,398

Boris Johnson (Conservative, Henley)

1. Accommodation: £22,110

2. Office costs: £28,440

3. Staff costs: £76,770

4. Travel: £3,055

5. Stationery: £3,931

Total: £134,306

Ed Vaizey (Conservative, Wantage)

1. Accommodation; £19,924

2. Office costs: £28,994

3. Staff costs: £78,867

4. Travel: £5,929

5. Stationery: £2,787

Total: £136,501

• Accommodation covers cost of staying away from home; Stationery includes postage and computer expenses