Ex-leadership hopeful Andrea Leadsom has never claimed personal expenses in six years as an MP
Aides say millionaire MP doesn’t like charging travel and accommodation when she can afford it
RICH former Tory leadership hopeful Andrea Leadsom has never claimed any personal expenses in six years as an MP, The Sun can reveal.
The former banker and buy-to-let property entrepreneur is a millionaire in her own right.
Aides say she doesn’t like charging for costs like travel and accommodation when she can afford to fund it herself – saving the taxpayer hundreds of thousands of pounds over her career.
Instead, the new Environment Secretary only claims basic office expenses incurred by her Commons staff.
Despite running for the nation’s top job, she hid her modest spending record during her short-lived campaign so as not to embarrass other Tory MPs.
The decision has made Mrs Leadsom - first elected in 2010 - one of the lowest claiming MPs in Parliament.
In the last year, the MP for South Northamptonshire claimed a total of £13,984.78 in expenses.
Other MPs have claimed more than £100,000 over the same time period.
A spokesman for Mrs Leadsom said: “Andrea just believes she can get by without personal expenses.
“She doesn’t want to draw attention to it because she doesn’t think colleagues should be put under any pressure to do the same.
“She has never spoken about, and has no intention of setting herself up as some sort of social paragon”.