In the past 2 years MPs have enjoyed more than £2m worth of free trips oversees, of which £1.3m trips have been taken by Conservative MPs.
Since the general election 340 MPs have made 810 visits, Conservative MPs have been treated to £1.3m worth of travel, £630,000 was spent on Labour MPs and other party MPs had less than £200,000 spent on them put together.
The top spends were Saudi Arabia, Taiwan and Hong Kong contributed to a combined amount of £1,105,490 worth of travel covered by foreign governments, these includes offering free flights, hotels and meals to their guests.
What has to be declared?
MPs only have to register trips which are of any value over £600 paid by any organisations or oversees governments . Back in July MP Ian Paisley was suspended for 30 sittings days for failing to list his two family holidays that the Sri Lankan government paid for, the trip he claim did not exceed the limit.
The report by the BBC it states that “research is limited to visits that have to be declared to Parliament by MPs. The register of interests does not include ministerial costs or trips taken as part of delegations including Nato and the Council of Europe.”
Where are they going?
102 visits have been made to Israel and the Palestinian territories in the past two years, followed by 57 trips to the USA and 49 trips to Germany. Saudi Arabia has paid the most with £200,608 for 29 trips, second was Taiwan with £172,731 for 39 trips and third Hong Kong paying £149,117 for 45 trips in the past two years.
Israel and the Palestinian territories
Most spent on who?
Out of the top 10 MPs that have had the most money spend on them, 9 are from the Conservative party and 1 from the Labour party.
- Leo Docherty, Conservative MP for Aldershot with trips worth a total of £26,895
- Mark Menzies, Conservative MP for Fylde with trips worth a total of £22,895
- David Morris, Conservative MP for Morecambe and Lunesdale with trips worth a total of £17,994
- Paul Scully, Conservative MP for Sutton and Cheam with trips worth a total of £16,996
- Ranil Jayawardena, Conservative MP for North East Hampshire with trips worth a total of £16,965
- Bob Blackman, Conservative MP for Harrow East with trips worth a total of £16,735
- Sarah Champion, Labour MP for Rotherham with trips worth a total od £16,555
- James Heappey, Conservative MP for Wells with trips worth a total of £16,232
- Bob Neill, Conservative MP for Bromley and Chislehurt with trips worth a total of £15,619
- Andrew Mitchell, Conservative MP for Sutton Coldfield with trips worth a total of £15,510
1. MP Leo Docherty
Which London MP has declared travel?
Brent Central Labour MP, Dawn Butler: £15,360
Ealing Central and Acton Labour MP, Rupa Huq: £5,000
Ealing Southall Labour MP, Virendra Sharma: £8,388
Enfield North Labour MP, Joan Ryan: £4,650
Hammersmith Labour MP, Andrew Slaughter: £1,547
Tottenham Labour MP: David Lammy: £2,713
Islington South and Finsbury Labour MP, Emily Thornberry: £1,272
East Ham Labour MP, Stephen Timms: £9,349
Ilford North Labour MP, Wes Streeting: £1,395
Ilford South Labour MP, Mike Gapes: £8,762
Camberwell and Peckham labour MP, Harriet Harman: £7,036
Dulwich and West Norwood Labour MP, Helen Hayes: £738
Walthamstow Labour MP, Stella Creasy: £418
Westminster North Labour MP, Karen Buck: £1,463