The Labour Party of the United Kingdom has criticised the Conservative government for permitting a culture of “extravagant spending” on government procurement cards (GPCs). A Labour report highlighted expenditures such as £3,393 for 13 photographs from The Tate Gallery and £23,457 for alcohol for British embassies abroad.
In response to the allegations, the Conservative Party asserted that Labour spent nearly £1 billion on GPCs in 2009, when it was in power. The Cabinet Office has defended the cards, citing their ability to save time and money on one-time purchases.
Angela Rayner, the deputy leader of the Labour Party, stated that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak “has failed to rein in Whitehall’s culture of lavish spending under his watch.” She added that her party’s analysis revealed “a scandalous catalogue of waste, with taxpayers’ money being frittered away in every government department.”
The government of former Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair introduced GPCs in 1997 to make low-value purchases more convenient. The use of the cards has come under increased public and political scrutiny as a result of the 2009 parliamentary expenses scandal. According to a 2012 report from the National Audit Office, the cards lacked “central oversight and control.”
According to Labour’s analysis, fourteen government departments, including the Treasury and Home Office, spent approximately £145,5 million on GPCs in 2021, up from £84.9 million in 2010-11. Foreign Office diplomats spent £344,803 in restaurants and bars, £7,218 on a reception for Liz Truss when she was foreign secretary, and the Department of Health spent £59,155 on stationery.
Later today, Labour will release a comprehensive analysis of the government’s use of GPCs. If elected, Labour has pledged to crack down on waste by establishing an Office of Value for Money to uphold spending transparency and high standards.
The Labour Party of the United Kingdom has accused the Conservative government of overseeing a culture of “lavish spending” with debit cards funded by taxpayers. A Labour report highlights expenditures such as £3,393 for thirteen photographs from The Tate Gallery and £23,457 for alcohol for British embassies abroad. In response, the Conservative Party stated that Labour spent nearly £1 billion on government procurement cards (GPCs) in 2009, their final year in office.
The government of former Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair introduced GPCs in 1997 as a more efficient way to make low-value purchases. Since a major scandal involving MPs’ expense claims in 2009, however, they have come under greater public and political scrutiny. According to a 2012 report from the National Audit Office, the cards lacked “central oversight and control.”
14 government departments, including the Treasury and the Home Office, spent approximately £145.5 million on GPCs in 2021, up from £84.9 million in 2010-2011, according to an analysis by Labour. Foreign Office diplomats spent £344,803 in restaurants and bars, £7,218 on a reception for Liz Truss when she was foreign secretary, and the Department of Health spent £59,155 on stationery.
Angela Rayner, the deputy leader of the Labour Party, stated that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak “has failed to rein in Whitehall’s culture of extravagant spending during his tenure.” She added that her party’s analysis revealed “a scandalous catalogue of waste, with taxpayers’ money being frittered away in every government department.” Labour intends to release its comprehensive analysis later today.
If elected, Labour has pledged to crack down on waste by establishing an Office of Value for Money to uphold spending transparency and high standards. The Conservative Party referred to Labour’s analysis as a “political stunt” and defended the use of GPCs as an efficient method of payment for goods and services.
The Labour Party of the United Kingdom has accused the Conservative government of permitting a culture of “lavish spending” with debit cards funded by taxpayers. A Labour study highlights expenditures such as £3,393 on thirteen photographs from The Tate Gallery and £23,457 on alcohol for British embassies abroad.
In response to the allegations, the Conservative Party stated that Labour spent nearly £1 billion on government procurement cards (GPCs) in 2009, their final year in office. In addition, they mandated that all expenditures be made public and reduced the number of cards in use. However, Labour’s report focuses on only 14 government agencies, so the numbers cannot be directly compared.
Former Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair introduced GPCs in 1997 as a more convenient way to invest.
