Expenses: The most ludicrous claims made by MPs and politicians as Nicola Sturgeon's £14m bill raises eyebrows

From duck islands to AirPods and luxury holiday stays, the expenses claimed by UK politicians on the taxpayer's dime have regularly made the headlines. Ever since that fateful leak of Westminster MPs' expenses to the Daily Telegraph in 2009, which revealed exactly what our MPs were claiming, we all eagerly await to see which politician has claimed a ludicrous item on taxpayers' money.

And that has been the case once again as it has been revealed that former SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon and her government spent a total of £14m on credit cards over three years - all at the expense of Scottish taxpayers. The spending here included luxury accommodation, fitness classes, and oddly enough - heelstoppers.

A story also broke last month about how Labour MP Abena Oppong-Asare claimed parking fines on expenses.

It's an issue for the taxpayer that invokes much anger given the immediate questions raised as to where our hard-earned money goes. And by taking a look back, you can see why there's good reason for strong emotion here.

NationalWorld takes a look at the most ridiculous claims made by UK politicians.

Sir Peter Viggers

Perhaps the most famous MP expense claim of all was revealed as part of the 2009 expenses scandal.

Sir Peter Viggers - who died in 2020 aged 82 - admitted to feeling 'shamed and humiliated' after claiming an island to house the docks in his pond on expenses.

The island formed part of a £30,000 gardening expense claim where the island was priced at £1,645.

The damage to his reputation meant the former MP for Gosport in Hampshire was forced to step down.

David Davis

The Member of Parliament for Haltemprice and Howden has served his constituency since 1987.

At the end of 2021 in figures released by The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, it was revealed just how keen Davis was to get his spelling right.

He had claimed £115.30 on the online writing tool, Grammarly.

Sir Menzies Campbell

Former Liberal Democrat leader and now a member of the House of Lords Sir Menzies Cambell was another politician drawn into the spotlight in 2009.

Here it was revealed that he had hired an interior designer to refurbish his London flat and spent nearly £10,000 on cushions, a king-size bed, and a TV on taxpayers' money, as revealed by The Telegraph.

He later blamed a lack of enforcement of expense guidelines for his hefty interior design bill.

Quentin Davies

A claim which was later withdrawn, but still caused this Labour MP his seat in 2010.

Quentin Davis, MP for Grantham and Stamford, was exposed for claiming £20,000 on roof repairs, including to the bell tower on his home.

In 2010, he was also given a life peerage.

Nadine Dorries

An MP who managed to stay the course after the 2009 revelations (although this may not be the case for much longer) was Nadine Dorries.

The Mid-Bedfordshire MP made headlines back then as she had nominated her main home as a property in which, by her own admission, she spent little time in.

Effectively, she was accused of claiming a second home when she didn't have a first one. The 2006 House of Commons rule book states that housing allowances relate to costs incurred when MPs are staying away from their main residence.

Angela Rayner

A much more recent allegation came to light in May 2023.

Here, it was reported by The Telegraph that Angela Rayner had put £139 Apple AirPod earphones on expenses. To raise eyebrows further, it was the second time Rayner had claimed for AirPods on taxpayers' money.

Although she denied her purchases were luxury and stated that she needed the AirPods for work purposes, Rayner decided to repay the cost of the second AirPod purchase in full - out of her own pocket.