MPs can claim Christmas parties on expenses, says Ipsa

MPs volition beryllium capable to assertion the outgo of their bureau Christmas enactment connected parliamentary expenses nether caller rules.

The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) announced MPs tin this twelvemonth assertion backmost wealth spent food, decorations and non-alcoholic drinks for an "office festive event".

MPs tin besides assertion for a enactment successful their constituency if it is "within a parliamentary context".

The determination has been criticised by MPs from each sides of Parliament.

Former Brexit caput David Davis called the rules "bonkers".

Speaking to TalkTV Mr Davis said the expenses watchdog had "missed the temper of the age".

Ipsa - the assemblage liable for paying MPs' expenses - revealed the costs incurred by MPs roseate to £138.6m past year, driven mostly by rising unit costs.

The authorization is funded by the Treasury, which is crook raises astir of its funds done taxes.

In its bulletin past week, Ipsa urged politicians to marque definite get-togethers "represent worth for money, particularly successful the existent economical climate". Parties cannot beryllium utilized for self-promotion oregon enactment governmental reasons, nether the caller guidance.

The authorization said it would besides o.k. claims of wealth spent connected sending cards to section residents. But MPs were explicitly told they cannot usage their expenses for a festive oregon caller twelvemonth calendar, decorations extracurricular their constituency offices, oregon walk taxpayers' wealth connected alcohol.

Any Christmas cards claimed for indispensable not beryllium sent to "large groups oregon each constituents arsenic determination is simply a hazard this whitethorn not correspond worth for wealth and could beryllium considered self-promotional".

The Ipsa guidance said each claims for festive parties volition published successful the accustomed manner.

Releasing its astir caller data, Ipsa's Chief Executive Ian Todd said: "We judge successful providing transparency to the public, and for making definite that the accusation we people is accessible and meaningful.

"The nationalist should beryllium assured that spending connected MPs' concern costs is compliant with our rules and helps MPs' unit astir the state to enactment for their section communities."

Shadow concern caput Jonathan Reynolds suggested the expenses watchdog had been a "little spot naive" putting retired specified guidance.

He told Times Radio: "People person not been asking for this. I don't deliberation anyone volition usage it.

"Ipsa request to beryllium a spot much savvy successful presumption of however they contiguous what they're doing connected this."

Labour frontbencher Jess Phillips - in a station connected Twitter retweeted by Foreign Secretary James Cleverly - said Ipsa had been "irresponsible".

"Just privation to accidental no-one asked for this, no-one I cognize volition usage it," she said.

"The guidance wasn't made by MPs and yet we volition beryllium pilloried for it. I deliberation it's truly irresponsible to contented this guidance arsenic if MPs person been clamouring for it erstwhile I've virtually ne'er heard anyone bash that."