Labour crackdown after civil servants splurged taxpayers’ money at Barbados yacht membership | UK | News | EUROtoday

The governmet is anticipated to announce a “crackdown” on taxpayer-funded bank cards after civil servants had been busted splurging on luxurious journeys and Fortnum & Mason items. Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden is ready to make the announcement this week amid allegations among the spending could have breached official steerage.

He is anticipated to announce limits on who can use the playing cards and what good and companies might be purchased with them. It comes after the minister’s personal division got here below hearth after utilizing a taxpayer funds to e book a £1,820 course about “value for money” weeks after Labour’s General Election win final 12 months.

In July, the Prison and Probation Service was caught spending £814 at a store listed on-line as promoting retro laptop video games. In August, the Department for Education spent £7,230 at a Marriott resort “away day” for civil servants.

Another £1,080 was spent by the Department for Business on the business carm of the Royal Academcy of Dramatic Arts, an performing college, in November. The college says it makes use of “techniques used by some of the world’s most respected performers” to assist with talking and management expertise.

In December, Angela Rayner’s housing division wasted £609 on hiring out a gathering area at a metropolis farm round a mile away from division workplaces. In the identical month, the Foreign Office splurged virtually £11,000 at John Lewis and an additional £1,300 at Fortnum & Mason.

David Lammy’s division additionally expensed £650 with Milton’s Chandeliers, a specialist chandelier agency, whereas an additional £4,100 was spent on a swimming pool cleansing service, information present. A Labour supply advised The Telegraph the social gathering was severe about taxpayers’ cash not being frittered away in an “irresponsible way”.

They stated: “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.” Dubious credit-card purchases stretch again so far as 2022, when the Conservatives had been in authorities.

In January 2023, Foreign Office workers spent £920 on the Nassau Yacht Club in Barbados. That identical month, £965 was spent at a bowling membership in Toronto, Canada, whereas £2,900 was handed over to an artwork deco cinema in Wellington, New Zealand.

In October 2023, the Foreign Office declared that it had spent £673 on an internet site that gives life-size cardboard cutouts of celebrities. According to The Telegraph, the web site affords a variety of celeb full-size replicas, together with considered one of Harry Styles for £45.

It is known embassies abroad generally use Foreign Office procurement playing cards to host political and enterprise leaders to advertise Britain. In November 2022, the division spent £684 with a Lake District-based leisure firm that gives actions together with axe-throwing and clay pigeon taking pictures.

A Government spokesman stated: “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.”

In opposition, Labour relentlessly attacked Tory ministers over their use of Government Procurement Cards.