Oxfordshire MPs defend London flat expenses

A pair of Oxfordshire MPs have defended their use of taxpayers' money to cover the cost of renting apartments in London.

Liberal Democrat MP for Bicester Callum Miller and Sean Woodcock, the Labour MP for Banbury, both claimed expenses for rent during their first year in the House of Commons.

Both told the BBC this was due to the "antisocial" hours Parliament often sits at, including late at night.

The three other Oxfordshire MPs first elected in July 2024 have not claimed for similar expenses, and instead commute to the capital.

Parliamentary figures show Miller claimed £18,450 worth of expenses to cover accommodation costs over the past year - more than any other of the county's new MPs.

"Unfortunately, Parliament still has some quite antisocial sitting hours, because a lot of parliamentarians come from all over the country," he explained to BBC Radio Oxford.

"There's a general assumption that parliamentarians are in London from Monday until Thursday, and consequently an expectation that they will need to stay over and be available for late voting - which is why Parliament has put these provisions in place."

Woodcock said: "In order to do my job for the people of Banbury, I do sometimes need to be down there and stay over.

"There are days when I am able to come home and do events in the constituency, but what I'd also point out is there are days when the Commons meets quite late at night."

He added that he shared his apartment in the capital with a fellow MP in order to "minimize the expenditure by the taxpayer".

The Labour MP for Banbury came under fire earlier this week after it was revealed he had attempted to claim hundreds of pounds worth of luxury bedding and shower cream on parliamentary expenses.

The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority rejected the claim.

"Having already brought those items, I was advised that I could claim [expenses] for them, but was then told no and that was the end of the matter - no taxpayers money was spent," he said.

"Ultimately it was incorrect advice, but I hold my hands up at that."

Didcot and Wantage MP Olly Glover, Witney MP Charlie Maynard and Henley and Thame MP Freddie van Mierlo all commute to London.

But Mr van Mierlo defended his fellow MPs' decision to seek accommodation in the capital.

"I don't judge any MP who would require a London flat to fulfil their job," he said.

"Each MP must find a solution that works best for them, and it's important that those expenses are available to allow MPs to do the best possible job for their constituents."

All five of Oxfordshire's class of 2024 MPs were quizzed about their first year in office by BBC Radio Oxford's Sophie Law on Thursday.

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