Others felt they could not run an effective campaign without large amounts of alcohol, Belgian chocolates, waffles and, in the case of one candidate, three dozen pies and two dozen sausage rolls from Betty’s Pie Shop in Parkhead.
They are among the items listed on the election returns by parliamentary candidates submitted to local authorities within 35 days of polling day. Under the Representation of the People Act, candidates must submit a breakdown of all the expenses they incurred running their election campaigns.
With a legal maximum of £7,150 per candidate, plus up to 7p per voter, most of the money is spent on printing and distributing leaflets, renting campaign headquarters and paying for other electioneering equipment such as balloons, posters and banners.
However, among the more unusual expenses claimed was 51p for a packet of Orbit chewing gum by Mohammed Sarwar, the Labour MP for Glasgow Central.
John Robertson, the Labour MP for Glasgow North West, claimed just under £89 for alcohol including gin, vodka, wine and a case of lager and £1.10 for a packet of Bombay mix, £4.50 for prawns and £7.95 for Irish mussels.
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Tom Harris, the Labour MP for Glasgow South, claimed £19.99 for a tree pruner and £15.99 for a “Best of 1999-2000” CD while Ian Davidson in the neighbouring Glasgow South West seat claimed £28.78 for a stepladder, £3.59 for a packet of Lurpak spreadable butter, £1.45 for a packet of Bassett’s Jelly Babies and 12p for an onion.
As well as running up a £28.80 bill in Betty’s Pie Shop, David Marshall, the Labour MP for Glasgow East, also claimed £9.98 for steak and £3.99 for Belgian waffles.
Some of the more unusual claims were made by Scotland’s most senior and high-earning politicians, who ensured that they wrung every last penny of value from their campaign funds. Michael Martin, who earns £130,000 a year as Speaker of the House of Commons, claimed £6.25 for Belgian chocolates, £4.89 for Pringles, £4.99 for cookies and 99p for bananas. John Reid, earning just over £130,000 a year as defence secretary, claimed £1.26 for toilet rolls.
Peter Wishart, the nationalist MP for Perth, spent £118 on 2,000 “ready for waving” saltires.
The MPs insisted that the items they bought were legitimate campaigning materials.
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Marshall said he bought the pies and sausage rolls for everyone who turned out to support him on election day.
“It was very cold and wet on the morning of the election and the least you can do is give them a hot drink and a pie,” he said.
Harris said the tree pruner was needed to cut the tapes fixing posters to lamp posts.