MPs can claim office Christmas parties on expenses

[Rosscameasdoody]

AIBU to think that this is not only unreasonable but completely taking the piss ?IPSA have given the go ahead for MP’s to claim everything except alcohol to fund staff Christmas parties, and the tax payer will foot the bill.

Surely, if they have staff they are an employer? Lots of people get parties paid for by their employer for Christmas, I always have?

Have you got link please?

Just because they can doesn't mean they should. Many have family as staff, so no, they shouldn't. But they will.

Only in the private sector, most people I know who work in the public sector get a dinner out somewhere that they have to pay for themselves!

This, I'm afraid.

They are an employer and since the nature of their employment doesn't independently generate income, the money to pay their staff and give reasonable perks comes from the taxpayer.

DH and I are both public sector and we pay for our own staff get togethers, this is the norm across the majority of the sector on the grounds that it's taxpayers money....

My MP is a collosal thundercunt who claims every last penny possible, one of the highest expenses claims in the Commons. No doubt he'll be whacking receipts in for a party as soon as feasibly possible.

Cutting services left, right and centre because we've got to pay back all this debt - and then use some of that to pay for Christmas parties for MP's, total essential obviously ...... Sounds about right 🤦

So what we can claim too but we are private sector. Who would want to be an MP with all that scrutiny for such little pay. Personally I wouldn't take the pay cut.

You'd have thought the tories would’ve had enough of the public discussing their parties and paid for theirs themselves.

Yanbu. They should pay for it themselves as we always did when I worked in local government.

We earnt far less than they do too.

Everywhere I’ve ever worked we had to pay for our own Christmas party and other nights out. But then obviously those of us working on minimum wage in the private sectors of retail and food are rolling in money whereas those poor MPs with their taxpayer funded second homes and cars need every penny we can give them.

Oh. Wait. It’s the other way round. 🙄

Not at the tax payers’ expense though.

I have aTimes Online subscription and there is no link, but it’ been widely reported this morning. Jess Philips MP was interviewed and said no MP had pressed for this it was entirely the decision of IPSA. So are the decisions on MP pay rises but d Idon’t see anyone handing them back on principle.

MPS are the employers of their staff. They get given a staff budget and an office costs budget.

I can only imagine the Daily Mail uproar if teaching or medical staff did this for their Christmas parties. What an absolute joke.

Hi h well if tax payers can fund this let’s make sure all NHS and Schools staff Christmas parties are paid for too! Not bloody likely is it….

Loads of MPs have already complained about this, saying nobody asked for it and it is just attracting more attacks on them:

www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/nov/22/mps-criticise-rules-allowing-them-to-claim-christmas-party-expenses

Disgusting!
Just because they can doesn’t mean they should but they will I bet. Bloody greedy bastards.

Diabolical waste of public funds.

My DH is a civil servant, the government don't pay for him or his team to have a party or even a box of mince pies.

MPs have not asked for this; it is the decision of IPSA, the independent body created to oversee MPs’ pay and expenses. All this will do is lead to more attacks on MPs by the press and public for something they haven’t had anything to do with.

My employer is paying for our Christmas party. Not sure why MP staff should miss out.

Don't panic, MP's are publicly saying they don't want this and won't be claiming it.

Another public sector worker here, we have always paid for our own Christmas gatherings. For quite a while we also had to provide our own tea and coffee too. MPs staff should have to pay just like other public sector workers.

Is there anything that they cannot claim for?