Crackdown on free postage as Labour MP claims £50,000 on

As Labour MP claims £50,000 on stationery in a year, the Speaker gets tough.

A leaked email written by a senior Parliamentary official shows that the bill for postage and stationery soared to a record high last year – and doubled last month as MPs rushed to beat a ban on unlimited claims.

Commons sources have told The Mail on Sunday that:

• MPs were caught stuffing handfuls of pre-paid envelopes and stationery into their pockets, with large quantities disappearing two days before the curbs took effect.

• Many even used pre-paid envelopes – worth up to £1 each – to jot down notes and shopping lists, before throwing them in the bin.

• Labour MP Siobhan McDonagh, an aide to Home Secretary John Reid, spent nearly £50,000 on free postage and stationery last year alone.

A Parliamentary insider said: ‘The abuse of this allowance is quite shocking.

'When they realised that these allowances were to be controlled, MPs literally went round filling their boots while they could.

‘I can think of no other reason why claims doubled in the last month.

'A hard core of MPs were found to be going round stuffing their pockets with free postage and stationery.

‘They were seen filling their pockets on the quiet and then returning a few hours later when supplies had been restocked.

‘This system has always relied on trust but it is clear that some MPs can no longer be trusted.’

Another source added: ‘They ran round grabbing as much free material before the axe came down. It was obscene.’