Parliamentary expenses can no longer remain under the radar as the public becomes more aware of how taxpayers' money is being used. Even senior Tory MPs such as Suella Braverman are

now facing accusations of exploiting the system to get taxpayers to foot her £25,000 energy bill.

According to reports, Braverman has claimed this whopping sum in five years for her house in London, while living rent-free with her parents when she is not there. Although the claims for utility payments are within parliamentary rules, this spending is likely to anger the millions of people hit by the cost of living crisis.

However, there are those who question why MPs who have great personal wealth can claim for expenses at all. Moreover, an investigation by the newspaper suggests that Braverman uses the expenses to pay the household bills on her £1.2 million family pad in Bushey, Hertfordshire. This looks like an attempt to 'game the rules to maximise benefit', according to former Committee on Standards in Public Life chairman Sir Alistair Graham.

Braverman claims to 'fully fund' her constituency accommodation, but does not reveal that it is owned by her parents. This has raised eyebrows, and some are suggesting that she may be manipulating the rules to strengthen her household income.

Being an MP is a two-centre job, and so the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority permits those representing constituencies outside the capital to fund accommodation and associated costs in a second location. This includes energy, utilities, internet, and council tax but not MPs' mortgages or mortgage interest. For 2022-23, the accommodation budget is £25,080 for renting in London, and £17,840 for outside.

This is why Braverman's expense claims for her parents' home are 'difficult to justify', argues Liberal Democrat chief whip Wendy Chamberlain. Photo by UK Government, Wikimedia commons.