Labour has accused the Conservative administration of condoning “extravagant spending” with debit cards subsidized by taxpayers on hotels, hospitality, and other expenses.
A Labour estimate of spending on government debit cards in 2021 showed the costs.
Examples of bills include $3,393 for thirteen images of fine art and $23,457 for wine for British embassies overseas.
Conservatives referred to Labour’s analysis as a “political gimmick.”
A spokesperson for the Conservative Party stated that Labour spent about £1 billion on government procurement cards (GPCs) in 2009 when the party was in power.
These expenditures spanned the whole public sector, but Labour’s investigation concentrated on 14 government departments; hence, the statistics cannot be directly compared.
Angela Rayner, the deputy leader of the Labour Party, stated that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak “has failed to rein in Whitehall’s culture of wasteful spending under his watch.”
Ms. Rayner stated that her party’s study revealed “a shameful chronicle of waste, with taxpayer funds being frittered away throughout the entire government.”
She said that a Labour administration would “go tough on waste, with an Office of Value for Money upholding openness and high standards for all public expenditures, including government procurement cards.”
Ms. Rayner, who claimed expenses for over £2,000 worth of Apple items, defended herself against charges of hypocrisy.
Ms. Rayner stated on Times Radio that her expenditure was “not comparable to the millions of pounds that are being inappropriately used on these credit cards.”
As I speak to you on an iPad, I am currently utilizing the equipment.
A government official emphasised that the Conservatives limited credit card usage and required spending transparency.
The Cabinet Office claimed the cards can save time and money when used for one-off purchases and are considered to be an effective means of paying for goods and services.
Transport minister Richard Holden stated that Labour had “wasted” civil employees’ time and “half a million pounds” by uncovering publicly available information.
“Since 2012, all of this information has been publicly accessible online,” he told ITV’s Good Morning Britain, a development that did not occur under the previous Labour government.
“We publish it once per month.”
“Value for the price”
In 1997, former Labour prime minister Tony Blair created the cards to simplify low-value purchases.
They were made accessible to all public sector organizations, including federal government agencies, local governments, and the National Health Service.
The 2009 parliamentary expenditures scandal raised public and political awareness of card use.
The National Audit Office stated in a 2012 study on GPCs that “there has been a lack of central oversight and control of the card, which has increased value for money risks.”
Labour examined 2021 budget data for all main government departments except the Ministry of Defense.
The party received some of the information from ministers’ written responses to shadow attorney general Emily Thornberry’s parliamentary queries.
According to Labour’s data, the 14 government departments, including the Treasury and Home Office, spent approximately £145,5 million on GPCs in 2021, compared to £84.9 million in 2010-11.
However, inflation is not factored into the analysis.
The Labour Party has released a comprehensive examination of the government’s use of GPCs.
