Taxpayer foots bill for 67 Tory treats over the past year

Politicians are no strangers to taking the biscuit with their expense claims. But the latest receipts of one sweet-toothed Lothians MSP have stood out for a different reason - his fondness for muffins.

A detailed breakdown of expenses paid to Holyrood politicians in 2009/10 showed that Tory Gavin Brown claimed for a total of 67 muffins in a year, with one receipt alone totalling 39.66 for "Muffins x 27".

Quizzed on his ballooning bakery bill, Mr Brown today insisted he did not have a particular passion for muffins and said they were just ordered from parliament caterers Sodexho along with tea and coffee for the sake of his visitors.

He said he was not even sure whether muffins had been requested for the meetings rather than biscuits or shortbread.

"I leave that for my staff to sort out," he said. "I don't have a particular love of muffins."

He also declined to state a preference for blueberry, raspberry or chocolate.

Mr Brown said the claim for 27 muffins related to a meeting in February this year with a group of medical staff from across Lothian. For another meeting the same month with a group of local business people, he submitted a claim of 14.69 for "Muffins x 10".

In March, he met members of the 50+ Network from West Lothian and claimed 23.50 for refreshments, including 20 muffins. In January, he listed two separate meetings with a total of ten muffins.

Altogether, his bill for "meeting expenses - tea, coffee, biscuits" came to 132.92. But overall, Mr Brown's expenses for last year were 11,823, down from 18,473 the previous year.

Meanwhile, Midlothian Labour MSP Rhona Brankin claimed 5.66 for a Glade air freshener and black bin bags.

Among the taxi claims by Scottish Labour leader and East Lothian MSP Iain Gray was one for 8 for "Downing Street to Victoria train station" and another for 11 for "Downing Street to Euston". Mr Gray had the largest claim of any Lothians MSPs, but his total - 23,661.94 - was still lower than his claims for the previous year.

The lowest claimer was Labour's George Foulkes, whose expenses totalled just 2920.23.

But the total claimed by almost all of the 17 MSPs representing Edinburgh and the Lothians was down.

Altogether, they claimed 221,222.87 in 2009/10 compared with 306,538 in 2008/9.

Edinburgh West Lib Dem MSP Margaret Smith more than halved her claim from 27,954 to 13,598. SNP list MSP Ian McKee slashed his from 12,134 to 6955. Edinburgh Pentlands Tory MSP David McLetchie cut his from 23,346 to 14,429.

A parliament spokesman said meeting costs were "a legitimate expense".