Lavish Government Spending Under Fire as Labour Pledges Crackdown

[Social Media]

 

Civil servants have come under scrutiny for extravagant spending on taxpayer-funded credit cards, prompting the government to pledge tighter controls. Reports reveal that officials have used these cards for luxurious expenses, including stays at high-end hotels, outings to a Barbados yacht club, and even a course on "value for money."

 

Pat McFadden, the Cabinet Office minister, is set to announce a crackdown on Whitehall’s use of government-issued credit cards. While Labour previously criticized the Conservative government for reckless spending, recent revelations have embarrassed the party, showing that costly expenditures have continued unchecked since Labour came to power last July. McFadden has since launched an urgent review into the issue, with measures expected to limit who can access these cards and what they can be used for.

 

Shortly after the general election, the Cabinet Office charged £1,820 to a government credit card for a course on “value for money.” In July, the Prison and Probation Service spent £814 at “Chips Isle of Wight,” a retailer specializing in retro video games. The Department for Education also racked up a £7,230 bill with the Marriott hotel chain for an “away day” event for civil servants in August.

 

In November, the Department for Business spent £1,080 at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts' business program, which claims to use acting techniques to improve leadership and public speaking skills. December saw even more controversial spending, with Angela Rayner’s housing department paying £609 to rent a meeting space at a city farm just a mile from its taxpayer-funded offices. That same month, the Foreign Office spent nearly £11,000 at John Lewis and another £1,300 at the luxury department store Fortnum & Mason. Additionally, David Lammy’s department charged £650 to a specialist chandelier firm and £4,100 for swimming pool maintenance.

 

A Labour insider defended the government’s stance, saying, “We will not allow taxpayers’ money to be frittered away in this irresponsible way. We will be ruthless in tackling the waste to which the Tories turned a blind eye, so we can prioritise cash on more hospital appointments, teachers in classrooms, and police back on the beat. To get a grip on the problem, Pat McFadden has ordered an urgent review of who has access to these government credit cards and what they can be used to purchase. We will set out more action in the coming weeks.”

 

Records indicate that extravagant spending has persisted for years. In January 2023, Foreign Office staff spent £920 at the Nassau Yacht Club in Barbados, £965 at a bowling club in Toronto, and £2,900 at an art deco cinema in Wellington, New Zealand. The following October, the department spent £673 on a website that sells life-size celebrity cardboard cutouts, including a full-sized replica of Harry Styles priced at £45. In November 2022, another £684 was spent at a leisure company in the Lake District offering axe-throwing and clay pigeon shooting.

 

A government spokesperson emphasized efforts to curb wasteful spending, stating, “We are fully focused on tackling wasteful spending and inefficiency across government. That’s why we are carrying out huge reforms to create an agile and productive state. We are fundamentally changing the way public services, civil servants, and the UK deliver for the public, building on the first eight months of the Government’s agenda.”

 

Foreign embassies sometimes use procurement cards to host political and business leaders or to promote Britain’s interests abroad. However, as scrutiny intensifies, Labour’s promised crackdown is expected to introduce significant changes to the use of taxpayer-backed credit cards.

 

Based on a report by The Telegraph  2025-03-18

 

 

[JonnyF]

28 minutes ago, Social Media said:

Shortly after the general election, the Cabinet Office charged £1,820 to a government credit card for a course on “value for money.” In July, the Prison and Probation Service spent £814 at “Chips Isle of Wight,” a retailer specializing in retro video games.

 

Labour have always loved wasting other people's money. It's about the only thing they are good at. 

 

29 minutes ago, Social Media said:

Additionally, David Lammy’s department charged £650 to a specialist chandelier firm and £4,100 for swimming pool maintenance.

 

In fairness, if Lammy had dived into that pool more than a handful of times that sounds like a fair price.  

[mrwebb8825]

17 hours ago, Social Media said:

In July, the Prison and Probation Service spent £814 at “Chips Isle of Wight,” a retailer specializing in retro video games.

In all fairness, maybe they had a death row prisoner longing for Pong or Asteroids.