MP hits back over expenses row

OLDHAM MP Debbie Abrahams has hit back at claims her expenses are among the highest in Westminster.

The Oldham East and Saddleworth MP is reported to have claimed £68,575 in 2012-13 — supposedly the third highest among MPs.

But a spokesman for Mrs Abrahams says the allegation has been based on incomplete figures: the Independent Parliamentary Standards Committee isn’t due to publish final figures until September.

“If ranking of this sort is to be done it should be based on like-for-like comparisons with comprehensive and complete datasets,” said her spokesman. “It’s not possible to do this until the official figures are released in September.

“We had already identified an error by IPSA and we have found other discrepancies about the way her office space in Oldham has been charged for.”