Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle has been forced to correct the record on why taxpayers shelled out £4,100 for a recent jaunt to Gibraltar.
Hoyle, who has splurged more than £250,000 on 19 overseas trips since October 2022, is expected to correct the record to "make it clear" how taxpayers' money was spent during his visit to the Rock.
The Speaker's office yesterday admitted there had been an "admin error" amid calls for a probe into Hoyle's log book.
A staggering £2,000 was paid for three-hour business-class flights, with £1,320 spent on accommodation and a further £700 forked out for food and drink.
Speaker of the House of Commons Sir Lindsay Hoyle attends the Service of Commemoration and Thanksgiving commemorating Anzac Day at Westminster Abbey
PA
In Parliament's official log book, Hoyle visited Gibraltar in December 2021 alongside three staff members.
However, Hoyle's wife, Lady Catherine, also went on the lavish trip.
The University of Gibraltar, where the Speaker is also Chancellor, paid for the Hoyles' trip, the Speaker's office has since told The Daily Mail.
Despite covering the cost of another official, his office clarified that taxpayers had footed the bill for three other members of staff to attend - taking the total number of attendees from Hoyle's office up to six for an event to mark his "installation as Chancellor of the University of Gibraltar and bilateral programme".
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Rock of Gibraltar
PA"This was a simple admin error that will be updated tomorrow, to make it clear what the university paid for," the Speaker's spokesman said.
"The £4,000 cost was for three staff. Staff always strive for accuracy and occasionally mistakes are made."
However, the Gibraltar trip comes after The Daily Mail revealed how the Hoyles also went to Los Angeles in February 2023 after the Speaker scheduled a single talk at the University of Southern California.
More than £3,000 was splashed out for a limousine firm for a chauffeur-driven car, nearly £300 on taxi app Lyft and more than £3,000 on accommodation.
A staggering £14,585 was also spent for the couple to attend the G7 Speakers' conference in Italy last September.
Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle following the funeral of former Speaker of the House of Commons Betty Boothroyd at St George's Church, Thriplow
PA
Hoyle's office said that the Speaker and his wife footed the bill for her travel and expenses on both occasions.
John O’Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: "Recent revelations about the Speaker’s expenses have raised serious questions about him and his office’s treatment of taxpayer cash.
"While his spokespeople insist that these costs come as part of his diplomatic work, the extravagance of the expenditure means their credibility is being stretched to breaking point. It’s time now for an investigation."
Ex-Liberal Democrat MP Tom Brake, who is now director of campaign group Unlock Democracy, added: "Given the damage that expenses stories have done to Parliament in the past, and the country’s challenging financial situation, extra-vigilance is required from MPs, ministers and the Speaker to ensure travel and accommodation claims are efficient, cost-effective and appropriate."
