Cabinet ministers were branded ‘hypocrites’ last night after claiming nearly £60,000 in expenses towards their petrol bills while Labour refuses to help motorists by scrapping its fuel duty hike.
Eleven of Sir Keir Starmer’s Cabinet have relied on taxpayer-funded subsidies to help run their vehicles in recent years, analysis of expenses receipts reveals.
They collectively claimed £58,589 in ‘car mileage’ over three years, with some lodging claims for more than £8,000.
Critics said it wasn’t ‘a good look’ while Sir Keir and Chancellor Rachel Reeves refuse to return the favour by scrapping their hated fuel duty hike.
The levy is due to rise 5p a litre from September, adding another £3 to the cost of a fill-up.
Among the claimants was Ms Reeves, who according to the expenses analysis claimed just over £2,000 towards her petrol bills.
The highest claimant was Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden, who got £8,766, followed by Wales Secretary Jo Stevens (£8,724) and Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury Jonathan Reynolds (£8,717), who was previously Business Secretary.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood claimed £7,837, Defence Secretary John Healey got £6,412 and Sir Keir’s Chief Secretary, Darren Jones, claimed nearly £6,000.
Eleven of Sir Keir Starmer’s (pictured on March 16) Cabinet have relied on taxpayer-funded subsidies to help run their vehicles in recent years, analysis of expenses receipts reveals
The highest claimant was Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden, who received £8,766, and Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury Jonathan Reynolds (pictured) (£8,717)
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood (pictured on March 24) claimed £7,837, Defence Secretary John Healey got £6,412 and Sir Keir’s Chief Secretary, Darren Jones, claimed nearly £6,000.
Cabinet Ministers also claimed an additional £7,000 for parking and congestion charges.
John O’Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: ‘Taxpayers are growing increasingly impatient at the way MPs are shielded from hardships.
‘Whether it’s council tax, inflation and now the price of petrol, politicians are often able to avoid rising costs, even when they are directly to blame.’
Howard Cox, of the FairFuelUK campaign, said: ‘While us plebs have no choice but to pay fuel duty, VAT, congestion and parking charges to go to work, these political careerists expect everything surrounding their £98,000-salaried lifestyle to be picked up by those who put them into Westminster.
‘It’s not a good look. It stinks of hypocrisy.’
There is no suggestion that those who made claims have broken any rules.
A Labour Party spokesman said: ‘All claims are made in line with Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority rules.’
