Taxpayers’ money is being spent on renting offices from the Labour Party, with twelve Labour MPs having constituency offices in buildings owned by Labour.
In total, more than £1.1million has been spent by the taxpayer on rent for these 12 properties since 2010.
The Labour Party has two companies that are listed as the owners of at least 80 properties across the UK.
Dame Emily Thornberry, the former Shadow Attorney General, has claimed the most from the taxpayer in that period: £263,983 for her constituency office in the leafy London borough of Islington.
Labour Party Nominees Ltd bought the building in 1992 for an undisclosed amount.
Labour chairman Ellie Reeves claims almost £16,000 a year in expenses for rent on her Lewisham office, owned by the Labour Party since 2007.
Some high-profile Conservative MPs are also renting from their local party, including Kemi Badenoch.
The party leader claimed more than £11,000 in rent from the taxpayer for her office in Saffron Walden.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
- ‘Our culture is under threat!’ Reform UK’s first female MP defends policy to ban ‘woke flags’
- Keir Starmer blasted for giving Indian workers a ‘leg up’ over Britons in multi-billion pound deal
- France accused of ‘encouraging people smuggling’ as GB News obtains damning new video
Suella Braverman, the former Home Secretary, also claimed more than £49,000 since 2015 to pay for an office owned by the Fareham Conservative Association.
MPs are allowed to rent offices from political parties under Parliamentary rules.
However, their contracts are subject to a formal valuation of the market rate by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA), which MPs must stick to.
When approached, the regulator refused to reveal when it last carried out valuations for these offices.
Campaigners have branded the practice “extremely questionable” and called for an overhaul of Parliamentary rules.
John O’Connell, the chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “Whether or not this is in breach of any rules, this is an extremely questionable practice given it essentially funnels taxpayer cash into political parties.”
“IPSA should consider new rules which clearly state that spaces should not be rented from political parties.”
A Labour Party spokesman said: “All Labour MPs’ constituency offices are rented in full compliance with the rules set out by the independent Parliamentary watchdog, IPSA.”
“The suggestion that the Labour Party is profiting from MPs’ rent expenses is categorically incorrect.”
A Conservative Party spokesman added: “This is entirely in keeping with the rules set out by the IPSA, and is all transparently and properly declared.”
Follow