NEW figures have revealed that the MPs who serve Burton, South Derbyshire and North West Leicestershire were good value for money in the first half of 2011.
The data has been collated on a website which details and analyses how efficient parliamentarians’ voting has been and how much each vote has cost when measured against the MP’s total expense.
Figures for the first part of last year showed that Burton MP Andrew Griffiths’ costs were £57,612 and his voting efficiency was revealed as 80.6 per cent — a figure which currently has him closing in on being named one of the most costeffective MPs in the country for 2011.
Every one of his votes in the Commons cost £1,152 and, in terms of the electorate, he has cost £2.60 per vote.
South Derbyshire’s Heather Wheeler came in with a voting efficiency rating of 67.7 per cent with a cost of £1,213 per Commons vote and £2.22 per electoral vote. Her costs were £50,947.
Andrew Bridgen, MP for North West Leicestershire, spent a total of £49,287, which saw a cost of £1,120 per Commons vote and £2.13 per electoral vote.
The website uses a device called the ‘Commons Performance Cockpit’ which allows users to compare the least and the most cost-effective MPs based on their total costs, their voting performance in the House of Commons and the support in their constituency.
The MP with the worst value per vote was Hexham MP Guy Opperman, with a cost of £49,251 per vote.
The best value was Conservative Philip Hollobone, who represents Kettering, with a cost of £808 per vote.
The Mail previously revealed that in 2010 Mr Griffiths had a voting efficiency of 90 per cent, meaning he just missed out on being named one of the most costeffective MPs in the country.
Mrs Wheeler came in with a voting efficiency rating of 89.6 and Mr Bridgen was the lowest ranked of the three, with 89.2 per cent.
‘GREAT WAY TO START 2012’ — MEMBERS DELIGHTED WITH FINDINGS
DELIGHT was the overriding emotion after the MPs who serve Burton, South Derbyshire and North West Leicestershire learned they had been labelled as being good value for money.
Burton MP Andrew Griffiths told the Mail: “After the expenses scandal, it is now imperative that MPs offer value for money in terms of their voting record in the Commons but also in the work they do for their constituents.
“This website offers a transparency so voters in Burton and across the country can see what MPs are doing for them and how well they are doing it. I am so pleased to hear that statistics show that I am offering good value for money, but what I do hope is that the figures are reflected by the opinions of the people of Burton and East Staffordshire and that they believe that I am doing a good job on their behalf.”
Heather Wheeler, MP for South Derbyshire, said: “I am delighted to learn of these statistics and it is certainly a great way to start 2012.
“One of the things I have learned as a new MP is that when I speak or vote, I make sure it involves something that will impact the people of South Derbyshire. I don’t want to waste time on things that will offer little in return and this is why the figures are great news.
“It shows that what I am doing is successful and hopefully benefiting the people of South Derbyshire.”
North West Leicestershire MP Andrew Bridgen said: “I feel it is a great privilege to be able to represent the views of people from North West Leicestershire in the House of Commons and I am pleased with the result of these findings.”
