MPs warned over Christmas party expenses
RISHI Sunak has warned MPs they will have to justify their expenses to voters after they were told for the first time they could charge taxpayers for Christmas parties.
The Prime Minister “certainly doesn’t intend” to put food, refreshments and decorations on expenses for an office party after guidance was issued by the watchdog responsible for MPs’ expenses.
Though alcohol was deemed off limits for expenses, the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) has been widely criticised for giving the go-ahead amid a cost-ofliving crisis.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman told journalists: “Questions on these sorts of arrangements are for Ipsa, they’re independent of both Parliament and Government, they set the allowances.
“But the Prime Minister certainly doesn’t intend to use this and his view is that MPs will want to justify all spending to their constituents.”
Shadow Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds suggested the expenses watchdog had been a “little bit naive” in putting out such guidance.