Marginals running up big bills

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Overseas Aid Minister Shahid Malik, MP for Dewsbury with a majority of 4,615, was the most expensive MP last year, claiming £185,421, including £26,069 on stationery.

Junior Home Office minister Liam Byrne, with a majority of 5,449 in his Birmingham Hodge Hill seat, put in a bill for £178,116 and former minister Joan Ryan, Enfield North's MP with a majority of 1,920, claimed £173,691.

Other MPs in London in marginal seats who put in claims above the 2006-07 average of £136,000 were Brent North Labour MP Barry Gardiner, majority 5,641 (£160,464), Finchley & Golders Green Labour MP Rudi Vis, majority 741 (£145,986) and Islington South & Finsbury Labour MP Emily Thornberry, majority 484 (£141,358).

The high spending will raise questions over MPs using taxpayers' money to boost their campaigns to stay in office and lead to accusations they exploit public funds to pump out propaganda - which they deny.

Meanwhile, Cabinet couple Ed Balls, MP for Normanton and Yvette Cooper, MP for Pontefract and Castleford, claimed nearly £32,000 towards the cost of staying away from their main home.

The couple, whose constituencies are both in West Yorkshire, have been accused of exploiting Commons rules by saying that their second home is in north London, where they spend more nights, rather than in their constituency house, so they can claim more money from the taxpayer.