Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle says £250K foreign jaunts were necessary for his job and to help Ukraine 

How commons speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle blew £250k of your cash
UNSPEAKERBLE EXTRAVAGANCE
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    UNDER-fire Sir Lindsay Hoyle last night said his foreign jaunts were necessary for his job — and to help Ukraine. 

    The Commons Speaker has claimed for 19 since October 2022, including trips to the Caribbean, almost always travelling in first or business class. 

    Portrait of a man in a black suit and green lanyard.
    Sir Lindsay Hoyle has defended his foreign jaunts, saying they were necessary for his job — and to help Ukraine

    They cost the taxpayer more than £250,000 and led to him being dubbed “long-haul Lindsay”. 

    However he said it was his job to act as an ambassador for the Commons “both at home and abroad”.

    He told the Society of Editors conference: “Speakers have represented the House on the international stage, at a range of interparliamentary events.” 

    Sir Lindsay said it also afforded him the chance to “raise the profile of Ukraine”.

    He added: “I think it’s worth it to be that voice in the room, that speaks out against Russian aggression.” 

    Freedom of information requests reveal he lavished more than £180,000 on First Class and Business Class flights in just two years.

    A posh seat was even deemed necessary for hops to Dublin — flight time one hour 20 minutes from London — and Verona, Italy.

    Sir Lindsay’s opulent travel arrangements had him run up a bill of £250,000 of taxpayers’ money on 19 jaunts since October 2022. None of his flights were in economy.

    The expenditure is unprecedented for a modern-day Speaker. It took predecessor John Bercow a decade to rack up a similar amount.

    JUST SOME OF HOYLE’S BILLS

    • JAKARTA/SINGAPORE (November 2022): £24,920.50
    • CANBERRA (January 2023): £40,599
    • OTTAWA (May/June 2023): £23,571.28
    • TOKYO (September 2023):  £24,657.35
    • ST HELENA/SOUTH AFRICA (February 2024): £23,642.59
    • JORDAN (May 2024): £14,762.91
    • CAYMANS (July/August 2024): £22,785.10
    • VERONA (September 2024): £14,585.56
    • QATAR (September 2024): £12,913.74
    • BRAZIL (November 2024): £19,644.63
    • GRAND TOTAL: £250,000 

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