Data reveals how much South Yorkshire MPs spent on business and staffing costs

These funds are essential for MPs to carry out their duties, and cover the costs of running an office, employing staff, and travelling between Parliament and their constituency.

Wentworth and Dearne MP John Healey spent the most locally, his total business costs for the latest financial year was £254,677.09.

He came tenth on a list of MPs with the highest levels of spending this financial year.

Sarah Champion, Rotherham’s MP, spent the least locally – her costs came to £176,979.35.

This is how much each MP in Barnsley and Rotherham incurred in business and staffing costs in 2020/21.

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John Healey – Wentworth and Dearne – £254,677.09

Accommodation – £21,055.29

MP travel – £5,713.99

Office costs – £38,145.74

Staff travel – £117.80

Staffing – £188,418.27

Miscellaneous – £1,226.00

“Constituents deserve the best I can do. I want to give the best possible support and service to constituents which is why I run an office that’s open to the public so people can always get hold of me when they need me, I employ good staff to work with me and I travel home to the constituency every week.

“This has proved even more important during the covid crisis, when the volume of requests for help or information trebled.

“There’s rightly a very tight system for making sure every penny of public money is spent on MPs providing a service to the public and every cost is properly receipted and independently checked before payment.”

Dan Jarvis – Barnsley Central – £235,720.35

Accommodation – £29,863.84

MP travel – £1,533.95

Office costs – £26,648.39

Staff travel – £1,102.13

Staffing – £176,572.04

Dan Jarvis said: “COVID and the cost of living crisis has meant my office has continued to receive unprecedented levels of correspondence and requests for assistance in the last 12 months – these business costs, managed and outlined by IPSA have been spent on salaries, equipment and training to support staff in their roles and allow them to do the best job for the residents of Barnsley Central.”

Alexander Stafford, Rother Valley -£197,355.64

Accommodation – £18,350.44

MP travel – £3,257.71

Office costs – £35,496.49

Staff travel – £262.28

Staffing – £139,898.96

Miscellaneous – £89.76

Alexander Stafford said: “It should be made clear that these are business expenses, claimed to cover the costs of running an office, employing staff and being able to fulfil the dual role of representing a constituency and working in Parliament. “

Stephanie Peacock – Barnsley East – £196,533.94

Accommodation – £16,636.33

MP travel – £3,003.37

Office costs – £19,317.24

Staff travel – £218.07

Staffing – £157,358.93

Stephanie Peacock said: “MP’s budgets allow us to run a small constituency and parliamentary office so that we can support local residents and raise issues in Parliament.

“I am proud of the hard work that my team do to support so many local people.

“These budgets are, rightly, closely controlled and overseen by the Independent Parliament Standards Authority and are published on a regular basis so that everyone is able to see how public money is being spent.”

Sarah Champion – Rotherham – £176,979.35

Accommodation – £21,883.10

MP travel – £1,641.54

Office costs – £22,837.39

Staff travel – £35.00

Staffing – £130,582.32