As MPs focus on the year ahead following yesterday’s Queen’s Speech, reporter Neil Macfarlane takes a look at the performance of our elected representatives in Parliament.
IN light of recent controversies involving expenses claims and outside earnings, The Northern Echo has taken a look at the activities of the region’s 37 MPs in the House of Commons.
The chart opposite shows how much each has claimed in expenses and how much they earned through second jobs, as well as details of ministerial posts and committee memberships.
The statistics also show how often they have spoken, voted or asked written questions in Parliament.
The information is taken from the website theywork foryou.com – a charity campaign that works to increase participation in the democratic process.
Francis Irving, developer at theyworkforyou.com, said: “Our aim is to get more people involved in democracy, Government and Parliament.
“We are activists in the sense that we are normal people who worry about democracy, and try to make it easier for members of the public to keep an eye on what their MPs are doing for them.”
Every Parliamentary constituency in the North-East and North Yorkshire is represented on the chart, from Berwick in the north of the region to Harrogate and Knaresborough and the City of York in the south.
Each MP is given an annual Parliamentary salary of more than £61,000, but the figures show the maximum amount they have declared as earnings from second jobs in the past 12 months. Many earn extra money in the private sector as after-dinner speakers, consultants and company directors. Also listed is the amount claimed in expenses, covering costs such as transport and the running of constituency offices in 2006-7.
The chart shows how often MPs have spoken in parliament in the calendar year so far, and how many answers to written questions they have received during the same period.
The data also includes the percentage of Parliamentary votes they have participated in since the last General Election in 2005, as well as the number of select committees they have joined and ministerial posts they hold. For further details on the work of your local MP, visit theyworkforyou.com A guide to your MP's performance
ALAN BEITH (LD)
BERWICK
Second jobs: up to £25,000
Expenses: £136,172
Spoken: 41
Voted: 70%
Written questions: 15
Select committees: 3
HELEN GOODMAN (Lab)
BISHOP AUCKLAND
Assistant Whip
Second jobs: –
Expenses: £148,847
Spoken: 23
Voted: 92%
Written questions: 0
Select committees: 0
DAVID ANDERSON (Lab)
BLAYDON
Private Parliamentary Secretary Foreign and Commonwealth office
Second jobs: –
Expenses: £151,353
Spoken: 34
Voted: 77%
Written questions: 99
Select committees: 1
RONNIE CAMPBELL (Lab)
BLYTH VALLEY
Second jobs: –
Expenses: £144,156
Spoken: 16
Voted: 74%
Written questions: 2
Select committees: 0
ALAN MILBURN (Lab)
DARLINGTON
Second jobs: up to £115,000
Expenses: £160,888
Spoken: 1
Voted: 62%
Written questions: 25
Select committees: 0
KEVAN JONES (Lab)
DURHAM NORTH
Parliamentary Under Secretary MoD
Second jobs: –
Expenses: £149,713
Spoken: 52
Voted: 83%
Written questions: 39
Select committees: 2
HILARY ARMSTRONG (Lab)
DURHAM NORTH-WEST
Second jobs: up to £40,000
Expenses: £120,740
Spoken: 14
Voted: 72%
Written questions: 2
Select committees: 0
ROBERTA BLACKMAN-WOODS (Lab)
DURHAM CITY
PPS Dept Innovation, Universities and skills
Second jobs: –
Expenses: £134,948
Spoken: 26
Voted: 80%
Written questions: 17
Select committees: 3
JOHN CUMMINGS (Lab)
EASINGTON
Second jobs: –
Expenses: £153,319
Spoken: 7
Voted: 82%
Written questions: 46
Select committees: 2
NICK BROWN (Lab)
NEWCASTLE EAST & WALLSEND
Chief Whip
Second jobs: –
Expenses: £147,797
Spoken: 4
Voted: 85%
Written questions: 0
Select committees: 0
DOUG HENDERSON (Lab)
NEWCASTLE NORTH
Second jobs: –
Expenses: £146,269
Spoken: 19
Voted: 61%
Written questions: 27
Select committees: 0
VERA BAIRD (Lab)
REDCAR
Solicitor General
Second jobs: –
Expenses: £146,772
Spoken: 13
Voted: 79%
Written questions: 0
Select committees: 0
WILLIAM HAGUE (Con)
RICHMOND
Shadow Foreign Secretary
Second jobs: up to £250,000
Expenses: £136,335
Spoken: 28
Voted: 57%
Written questions: 418
Select committees: 0
JOHN GREENWAY (Con)
RYEDALE
Second jobs: up to £40,000
Expenses: £133,652
Spoken: 8
Voted: 50%
Written questions: 10
Select committees: 0
ROBERT GOODWILL (Con)
SCARBOROUGH & WHITBY
Shadow Transport Minister
Second jobs: –
Expenses: £144,282
Spoken: 51
Voted: 72%
Written questions: 72
Select committees: 0
PHIL WILSON (Lab)
SEDGEFIELD
Second jobs: –
Expenses: Not available (elected July 2007)
Spoken: 25
Voted: 87%
Written questions: 9
Select committees: 2
DAVID CURRY (Con)
SKIPTON & RIPON
Second jobs: up to £5,000
Expenses: £117,752
Spoken: 27
Voted: 51%
Written questions: 11
Select committees: 2
DAVID MILIBAND (Lab)
SOUTH SHIELDS
Foreign Secretary
Second jobs: –
Expenses: £126,115
Spoken: 23
Voted: 51%
Written questions: 0
Select committees: 0
FRANK COOK (Lab)
STOCKTON NORTH
Second jobs: up to £10,000
Expenses: £127,215
Spoken: 18
Voted: 50%
Written questions: 3
Select committees: 1
DARI TAYLOR (Lab)
STOCKTON SOUTH
Second jobs: –
Expenses: £159,178
Spoken: 45
Voted: 78%
Written questions: 38
Select committees: 1
BILL ETHERINGTON (Lab)
SUNDERLAND NORTH
Second jobs: –
Expenses: £146,915
Spoken: 1
Voted: 47%
Written questions: 22
Select committees: 0
CHRIS MULLIN (Lab)
SUNDERLAND SOUTH
Second jobs: up to £46,500
Expenses: £115,356
Spoken: 35
Voted: 85%
Written questions: 33
Select committees: 1
DAVID CLELLAND (Lab)
TYNE BRIDGE
Second jobs: –
Expenses: £146,282
Spoken: 22
Voted: 76%
Written questions: 2
Select committees: 1
ALAN CAMPBELL (Lab)
TYNEMOUTH
Parliamentary Under Secretary Home Office
Second jobs: –
Expenses: £153,621
Spoken: 8
Voted: 90%
Written questions: 0
Select committees: 0
STEPHEN BYERS (Lab)
TYNESIDE NORTH
Second jobs: up to £5,000
Expenses: £133,341
Spoken: 2
Voted: 71%
Written questions: 25
Select committees: 0
ANNE McINTOSH (Con)
VALE OF YORK
Second jobs: –
Expenses: £121,686
Spoken: 93
Voted: 77%
Written questions: 461
Select committees: 1
DENIS MURPHY (Lab)
WANSBECK
Second jobs: –
Expenses: £146,020
Spoken: 8
Voted: 69%
Written questions: 31
Select committees: 1
HUGH BAYLEY (Lab)
WANSBECK
Second jobs: –
Expenses: £154,061
Spoken: 65
Voted: 65%
Written questions: 85
Select committees: 2
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