Matthew has been ranked as the 10th most efficient MP in the country by the Key Business Insight's ‘Commons Performance Cockpit’. This ranks MPs by their total cost - that is staffing, travel expenses, office costs, and so on.
After one year as an MP, Matthew has spoken in over forty debates, questioned the Prime Minister and received answers to 273 written questions - well above average amongst MPs. He has voted in 87.21% of votes in this Parliament, again above average amongst MPs. The majority of the 50 ""most efficient"" MPs, in terms of total cost, are Conservatives. The top 10 ""most efficient"" MPs between 1st April, 2010 and 31st March, 2011 are listed below:
1. Dan Jarvis (Labour, Barnsley Central) £5,457*
2. Deborah Abrahams (Labour, Oldham East and Saddleworth) £12,472**
3. Eric Illsley (Labour, Barnsley Central) £57,485***
4. Zac Goldsmith (Conservative, Richmond Park) £59,242
5. Rushanara Ali (Labour, Bethnal Green and Bow) £59,242
6. Ben Gummer (Conservative, Ipswich) £60,422
7. Gavin Shuker (Labour, Luton South) £60,687
8. George Eustice (Conservative, Camborne and Redruth) £60,692
9. Sam Gyimah (Conservative, East Surrey) £60,899
10. Matthew Offord (Conservative, Hendon) £61,077
*Took his seat on 3rd March, 2011
**Took her seat on 13th January, 2011
***Resigned his seat on 8th February, 2011
Matthew said, “I have always maintained that it is possible to communicate with my constituents without recourse to the public purse. I am pleased that the so called Communication Allowance of £10,000 - available to MPs under the last Labour Government - has been removed. I raised the several thousand pounds cost of printing and distributing my own Parliamentary Reporting Back leaflets and will do so again in the Autumn. I have also honoured my election pledge not to claim for a second home or for food that I consume in Parliament. With more use of email I have greately reduced the ridiculous scenario where an MP spends tens of thousands of pounds on postage. We are experiencing a time of austerity and I have acknowledged that though my caution in spending public money.”