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Why is Chris Grayling spending so much money on telephone bills?

We’ve all been there – when you open that innocuous looking letter in the post only for your eyes to widen in horror as you see the huge size of the phone bill inside. But while the shocking realisation of a high bill might normally prompt an angry call with the phone company, or a household ban on long-distance calls, for the hapless transport secretary Chris Grayling, it seems only to have been met by a shrug of the shoulders.

According to MP expense claims released last week, in August and September last year the transport secretary claimed a massive £958 in telephone bills for his constituency office – including £200 for mobile internet. Fair enough, you might think – that’s not too bad for an annual bill. Not so, Mr S can confirm that this amount was just for those two months.

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Steerpike is The Spectator's gossip columnist, serving up the latest tittle tattle from Westminster and beyond. Email tips to steerpike@spectator.co.uk or message @MrSteerpike

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