Richard Benyon claimed for two lavatory seats at his constituency office for a total of just £17.67

MPs are claiming 22% more in taxpayer-funded expenses than they did a decade ago when the scandal was first exposed. A Sunday Times investigation reveals that the total claimed by MPs has risen by more than a fifth to £116m since details first emerged about parliament’s corrupt expenses regime.

That 2009 crisis led to a collapse of public faith in politicians, which some critics argue was a catalyst for Brexit.

One of the claimants is Britain’s wealthiest MP. Richard Benyon, the Conservative member for Newbury, should be able to afford to spend a few pennies, but he has come under the spotlight after he submitted parliamentary expenses for a £6.80 lavatory seat from Wilko in August 2017 — only to buy another one a month