LETTER: The system of Parliamentary expenses and allowances is no longer fit for purpose.

It needs to be radically changed if we are to even start rebuilding and restoring the public’s trust in democratic politics.

But, amid the shocking revelations of recent days and weeks, there are two myths that need to be put to bed once and for all. The first is that before this crisis, no members were thinking about how to reduce the cost of politics.

The second is that the staffing allowance, which usually represents the lion’s share of a member’s claim, is somehow appropriated by members for their own personal use.

In 2007-08, I claimed £21,890 towards the cost of a second home in central London. This was not the maximum available, and the money was claimed only on rent, utility bills and other necessities associated with staying away from my main home, which is here in Shrewsbury and Atcham. Nevertheless, I felt strongly that savings could be made.

So, in the following financial year, 2008-09, I made the decision to share a flat in London with another member. Consequently, in 2008-09 my claim under the Additional Costs Allowance (usually known simply as the second home allowance) fell to £14,500. Again, only necessary expenses, supported with documentation, were claimed.

But I wanted to do more. So, this year, I moved into a rented room instead. It is furnished, so there is no need for a new television, no need for a Chinese needlepoint rug, and no possibility of claiming interest on a mortgage that no longer exists.

Through this particular measure, I expect the cost to the taxpayer of my staying away from home to attend the Commons will fall below £10,000. This arrangement may not suit everyone – a single parent with children, for instance – but it is achievable with my current personal circumstances. And yet, if I am working to cut the amount I claim under the second home allowance, how did I manage to claim a total of £156,737 during 2007-08?

The answer is that £88,093 of this total was spent paying the salaries of my staff. So, 56 per cent of my total expenses claim was paid directly from the House of Commons Fees Office to my staff via the Pay As You Earn (PAYE) system. Not one penny of that money ever saw the inside of my pocket.

A further £20,722 went on other office expenditure, £13,444 paid for my website and contacting constituents, and £10,561 reimbursed me for the cost of travelling between Westminster and the constituency.

We should, and we do, attempt to get these figures down. I could employ no staff, run no office, and buy one home in London in which to live all the time. That would cut costs dramatically. But it would also mean no assistance and support for all the people that I represent.

We could not write to the Government, or the Child Support Agency, or the Pension Service, or utility companies on behalf of constituents who have been badly treated or let down. I would not be out and about in Shrewsbury, knocking on doors and asking people to explain their problems, what they want to see changed and what I can do to help.

That is not what people tell me they want. They want their Member of Parliament to be around to support them when they need it and to hold the Government to account on their behalf.

But, they also want to know that their hard-earned money, which pays my salary and those of my staff, is being spent properly and transparently on representing them, not giving me a cushy lifestyle.

In short order, my expense claims will be available to view on my website, and all future expense claims will be listed on the conservatives.com and updated in real time. Indeed, it is already possible to see claims made by the Shadow Cabinet, published in a clear, easy-to-read format.

It does not get any more transparent, and entries under my name will demonstrate the progress I have made in cutting the cost of politics to you, the taxpayer. They will also demonstrate that more than half of all allowances are used to pay staff that work hard for local people, and the money does not somehow find its way into my possession.

As well as working for Shrewsbury and Atcham in Parliament, you have a right to expect that I will work for economy and efficiency within Parliament and, in particular, within my own office. I started this process long before the expenses and allowances scandal broke, and I will continue building on the progress already made.

Daniel Kawczynski MP

Shrewsbury & Atcham