MPS spend £40,000 on Apple gadgets to work from home

MPS spent nearly £40,000 of taxpayers’ money on Apple laptops, earphones and ipads after they were granted an additional allowance to cover the costs of working from home during the pandemic.

An analysis by The Daily Telegraph of claims published by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) shows at least £39,000 was claimed by 40 MPS on Apple equipment during this financial year.

Several MPS made claims for Airpods, Apple’s range of wireless earphones, while others spent more than £1,000 purchasing Macbooks and ipads, along with other gadgets.

Due to changes in working arrangements brought about by Covid-19 restrictions, IPSA announced last April that MPS would be allowed to spend an extra £10,000 on equipment for themselves and their staff.

This comes on top of the £26,000 they can claim to cover office costs. While the claims appear to be in keeping with the watchdog’s rules, campaigners hit out at MPS who had chosen to spend taxpayers’ money on expensive products, arguing that it raised questions as to whether “some members are using the allowance as a personal equipment slush fund”.

The MPS who appeared to have claimed the most on Apple technology included Angela Rayner, Labour’s deputy leader, who purchased a pair of £249 Airpods along with £2,000 of additional equipment.

Meanwhile, Fabian Hamilton, a shadow foreign minister, claimed for a £1,069 ipad Pro, a £234 ipad keyboard and an Apple Mouse that cost £59.99.

A month later he claimed for an iphone costing £1,049, and for a £1,299 Apple Macbook Pro in July.

A senior Labour MP said of Mr Hamilton and Ms Rayner: “We all claim, but you’ve got to judge what you do it

for. People have got to be cleaner than clean on this stuff.”

Geraint Davies, Labour MP for Swansea East, spent £3,975 on Apple equipment between April and July, and Barry Gardiner, former shadow international trade secretary, claimed £1,748 for an ipad, £131 for an Apple pencil and £349 for a keyboard.

Damien Moore, the Tory MP for Southport, spent £2,598 on Apple gadgets in May, while Jacob Young, the Tory MP for Redcar, spent £1,940. Ministers have also made claims, but their expenses are lower than the highest spenders.

John O’connell, chief executive of the Taxpayers’ Alliance, said: “These MPS should be asking themselves if expensive Apple products are remotely necessary when there are much cheaper alternatives. With the economy and public finances in such dire straits, limiting their expenses claims would be a welcome way for MPS to show that we’re all in it together.”

A spokesman for Ms Rayner said that “all expenses for the running of Angela’s parliamentary office were submitted in line with the rules”, as did Mr Hamilton’s office, which added that the additional allowance had “been absolutely vital in enabling MPS’ staff to carry out their important duties remotely”.

Mr Davies said that the expenses had been claimed on three laptops for staff working from home, adding that it was “important that they have the right tools to do the best job for people in need during such traumatic times”.

Mr Young said he had made “one-off purchases” while setting up his office after being elected in 2019, adding that it was for professional use “to carry out my responsibilities to my constituents”. Mr Moore and Mr Gardiner did not respond to requests for comment.

Mr Hamilton was previously caught up in an expenses scandal after The Telegraph revealed he had declared his mother’s London house as his main residence while overcharging taxpayers for a mortgage on his family home in Leeds.