RUTH Davidson reportedly claimed nearly £25,000 in expenses from the House of Lords in just one year – despite only making only four speeches in that time.
The former Scottish Conservative leader was elevated to Westminster’s upper chamber in July 2021 when she was made Baroness Davidson of Lundin Links.
But it has now been revealed that in the year after her appointment, she made only four speeches and asked just two questions.
The Daily Record reported that in the 12 months from her elevation she clawed back £24,521 from the public purse despite only showing face in the Lords 32 times over that period.
Lords can claim £323 per day in an attendance allowance, which they can pocket on top of travel expenses.
The paper reported her biggest claim was in February last year, when she claimed £4315 for seven attendances.
She claimed £3876 for five attendances and made only one speech without asking any questions in May 2022, and £3379 for five attendances in March, according to the Record.
Davidson led the Scottish Conservatives for nearly a decade after she was elected in 2011 and saw them claim second-place in the 2016 Scottish Parliament election – the party’s best-ever performance up to that point.
The SNP said Davidson’s expenses made the case for getting rid of the House of Lords.
Tommy Sheppard, the party’s constitutional affairs spokesperson, said: “I think most ordinary people will struggle to see how that is value for money.
"A further reason, if one is needed, why the whole edifice needs scrapped. And clearly, the best way to do that is for Scotland to become an independent country and start afresh."
