AN MP is claiming full petrol rates for trips from his home to Westminster — despite driving a hybrid car.

Labour’s shadow transport secretary Karl Turner is repaid at 45p a mile. Yet motoring experts say the fuel bill for his electric-petrol Mitsubishi Outlander should be only 30p a mile.

The move will infuriate taxpayers forking out £98.55 per 219-mile trip from his Hull constituency. The journey could be done for as little as £28.

A source said last night: “What he is doing may be within the rules but is morally unjustifiable. It is a loophole and he knows it.

“A lot of people would be angry about this, especially given his new job in transport.

“He should be showing a good example, not using journeys to make money. He is quite open about it but that is because of arrogance and he thinks he won’t be pulled up about it.”

The maximum normal rate for journeys by petrol cars is 45p a mile under guidelines set out by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA).

But ex-Top Gear host Quentin Willson and a Mitsubishi salesman both said the Outlander would run for 30 miles on its battery, then do 35 miles a gallon on petrol.

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Married Mr Turner, 46, whose car costs £28,000 new, is believed to use a charge point at home in Sutton-on-Hull.

If he were to charge the battery then fill up at his nearest BP garage, where fuel is 113.9p a litre, his journey could cost £28.

Publicly-available documents filed on IPSA’s website show his latest fuel claim was for £98.55 on January 22. In all he has made 41 claims dating to May 2016 — meaning he has been repaid £4,040.55 in the financial year. He claimed £5,394.55 in 2015/16. Mr Turner said last night: “I have got no comment to make.”

IPSA does not have guidelines or a special mileage rate for hybrids.

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