A FORMER aide to Margaret Thatcher recalls the time she collared the civil servant in charge of furnishing government offices.

Pointing to an armchair, she thundered: “It’s just been upholstered and cost £1,200. I phoned John Lewis and was told they could have done it for £180!”

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Commons speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle has spent more than £250k on 19 trips abroad since October 2022[/caption]

Reuters

The huge sums spent globetrotting on our behalf by a man that 90 per cent of people wouldn’t recognise in the street are jaw-dropping[/caption]

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We could do with a little more of Margaret Thatcher’s prudent housekeeping mentality in today’s politics[/caption]

Whatever your view of Maggie’s politics, it’s undeniable that we could do with a little more of her prudent housekeeping mentality in today’s politics.

Which brings me to Commons speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle’s vastly extravagant expenses bills footed by the taxpayer.

At first, his office insisted that “all expenses and costs are processed and published in line with rules”, but yesterday it admitted to a simple “admin error” over one of the trips.

Either way, the huge sums spent globetrotting on our behalf by a man that 90 per cent of people wouldn’t recognise in the street are so jaw-dropping that the damage is done.

It’s been reported that, since October 2022, he’s spent more than £250k on 19 trips abroad.

And more than £180k of that was spent on first and business class flights alone as, splutter, he won’t fly economy.

We also paid for his limousines, luxury hotel stays and dining experiences in some of the world’s finest restaurants.

On top of all that, it seems that his wife, Lady Catherine Hoyle, has accompanied her husband on many of the supposedly business trips.

A plumber wouldn’t take his/her other half to watch them fit someone’s bathroom, so why the hell does a politician’s wife go along for the ride?

The Hoyles say her expenses are covered by them personally, but when it comes to hotels and restaurants, are the bills really painstakingly separated?

“My wife had the bread basket, not me.” Yeah, right.

One of the trips they took — to LA — was so he could give a talk to politics students at the University of California.

Seriously? Of what use is that to the British taxpayer?

The university should have footed the bill and, if not, he could easily have been beamed in via Zoom and saved us a fortune.

Instead, on top of the flights, he spent £3k on limos and another £3k on accommodation.

With the UK’s social care funding in the toilet, it’s obscene expenditure more in keeping with a tinpot dictatorship.

On top of that, he billed nearly £16k for four trips to Gibraltar.

Business class

On one jaunt there, he claimed £2k for business class flights, £1,320 for accommodation and £700 for food and drink — saying it was for him and three staff members.

Business class to Gibraltar? The flight’s under three hours, for god’s sake.

If they were going there on holiday, would they fork out two grand for the privilege of a slightly wider seat and a better quality bread roll? Doubt it.

When it comes to ‘other people’s money’ (i.e. ours) it seems that Sir Lindsay adopts the spend, spend, spend mentality

An economy flight to Gibraltar on easyJet this very morning would cost you £63.99 outbound and as low as £12.99 to return a week later.

But when it comes to “other people’s money” (i.e. ours) it seems that Sir Lindsay adopts the spend, spend, spend mentality.

Few would take issue with the PM and senior Cabinet ministers flying business class long haul while representing the UK abroad.

But the Speaker should be sticking to his job of, among other things, being MP for Chorley, Lancashire, and correcting MPs (oh the irony) if they have misled the House of Commons.

And in his spare time, he could perhaps pop into the John Lewis sale and pick up some bargain scatter cushions for some of those bum-numbingly long parliamentary sessions.

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Few would take issue with Sir Keir Starmer and senior Cabinet ministers flying business class long haul while representing the UK abroad[/caption]

HIDER FINE A FARCE

Unpixs

WHEN Adrian and Joanne Fenton returned from a trip to France and found a Sudanese man hiding in the bike rack of their motorhome, their first instinct was to call the police.

The result? The couple, from Heybridge in Essex, were issued with a £1,500 fine from the Home Office for failing to “check no clandestine entrant was concealed” in their vehicle.

Er, isn’t that what the Border Force is for?

Meanwhile, the illegal migrant – who, natch, told police he was “16” – was taken away, no doubt to a hotel at the taxpayer’s expense.

The Fentons warn their story will deter other people from “doing the right thing” and they’re damned right.

I’ll bet they wish they’d just given him £20 for food and waved him off into the night.

SIZING UP ‘FAT’ ROLES

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Ariana Grande at the recent SAG awards in Hollywood[/caption]

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Demi Moore also attended the bash[/caption]

NOT much was sagging at the recent SAG awards in Hollywood, thanks to the obvious fondness of certain attendees for weight-loss jabs.

And it’s the same story at the Oscars, Brits and any other awards ceremony you care to mention.

Of course, there’s long been a terrible pressure on female stars in particular to stay slim and wrinkle-free unless they want to be cast as the mother of a male lead the same age as them.

So you can perhaps understand the trend.

But the good news for anyone who bucks it is that they’ll clean up with roles that Hollywood might describe as the “fat friend” but the rest of us regard as entirely normal in size.

MUSK MAMAS PUZZLE

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Why Elon Musk’s ‘baby mamas’ chose to take part in procreating his offspring is anyone’s guess[/caption]

RECENTLY, I wrote about Elon Musk’s alleged 13 children.

Since then, Shivon Zilis, who has three-year-old twins Strider and Azure and one-year-old Arcadia with Musk, has tweeted: “Discussed with Elon and, in light of beautiful Arcadia’s birthday, we felt it was better to also just share directly about our wonderful and incredible son Seldon Lycurgus.”

You can get an ointment for that.

So the alleged count is now at 14.

Musk is a pronatalist in favour of high birth rates, so that perhaps explains his fondness for offspring whose lives he appears to drift in and out of when it suits him.

But why his “baby mamas” (yuck) take part in this arrangement is anyone’s guess.

WHEN SIT HITS THE FAN

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Hertfordshire-based estate agent Nicholas Walker cited constructive unfair dismissal after being told a junior colleague had taken a ‘symbolically significant’ desk[/caption]

AN employment tribunal has ruled that asking a senior member of staff to sit somewhere deemed to be an area for junior employees could be construed as a demotion.

The judgment was made following the case of Hertfordshire-based estate agent Nicholas Walker who, as branch manager, expected to sit at a “symbolically significant” desk at the rear of the office and became ‘upset’ when told a junior colleague had taken it.

He resigned and cited constructive unfair dismissal. When his boss at the agency’s HQ heard about the row, he said he couldn’t believe “a man of his age” was “making a fuss” about a desk.

In this day and age, perhaps he should be grateful that Mr Walker wanted to attend the office at all.

WILL AND KATE’S CLASSY DISPLAY OF AFFECTION

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William and Kate’s loving glance shared at the Commonwealth Day Service shows their mutual adoration[/caption]

THE Duke and Duchess of Cambridge – aka William and Kate – have never been ones for packing on the PDA.

But since her cancer diagnosis, there’s been a subtle shift.

She’s still not hanging off his arm or gazing adoringly at his every utterance (copyright: Meghan Markle) but this brief, loving glance shared at the Commonwealth Day Service tells you all you need to know about their mutual adoration and respect for each other.

OVER the past few weeks Keir Starmer, Rachel Reeves and Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall have all been saying the right things about Britain’s burgeoning welfare budget.

On Monday night, the Prime Minister told Labour MPs that the benefits system is rewarding the workshy while making life difficult for people who genuinely need help. “That’s unsustainable, it’s indefensible and it is unfair,” he said.

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Sir Keir Starmer told MPs that the benefits system is rewarding the workshy while making life difficult for people who genuinely need help[/caption]

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Rachel Reeves has increased benefits in line with inflation while lumbering the working population with extra tax[/caption]

“People feel that in their bones. It runs contrary to deep British values that if you can work, you should.”

I can’t disagree with that.

So why don’t I feel confident that, come the spring statement in a couple of weeks’ time, the Government really will make the required changes?

Trouble is that Labour spent 14 years protesting about the evils of “austerity” whenever the then Conservative government proposed to remove so much as a bean from the welfare budget.

Labour remains stuffed with MPs who have a kneejerk response always to support benefit claimants against government cuts.

Britain’s welfare problem has crept up on us over the past decade.

The Conservatives actually made a good start in trimming the welfare bill and getting people back into work.

Between 2010 and 2017 the numbers of people on out-of-work benefits fell from 4.1 million to 3.6 million.

It seemed as if Tory promises to “make work pay” were bearing fruit.

Yet for some reason, the Conservatives lost their discipline.

From 2017, the numbers claiming out-of-work benefit began to creep up again.

This was well before Covid, but the pandemic did lead to an acceleration in benefit claims — which has failed to slow down in the years since.

There are now 5.95 million people claiming out-of-work benefits.

If current trends continue, estimates the Office for Budgetary Responsibility, by 2028 nearly one in 12 British workers will officially be too sick to work.

Some people, needless to say, blame “long Covid” for the rise.

But why has no other country seen such a shocking increase? And why do numbers continue to rise even now?

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Hundreds of thousands of people are being shunted on to benefits without any requirement ever to seek work[/caption]

Since the pandemic, there has been a huge rise in the number of Work Capability Assessments being carried out remotely.

Workshy underclass

While that was inevitable during lockdown, just ten per cent of claimants were assessed face to face last year.

Two thirds of WCAs are now carried out by telephone, while 13 per cent are mere paper exercises.

Surprise, surprise, claimants who don’t have to be assessed in person have a far higher chance of their claim succeeding.

Why has no other country seen such a shocking increase? And why do numbers continue to rise even now?

Of those given face-to-face assessments last year, 53 per cent were passed as unfit for work.

Among telephone interviewees it was 61 per cent and those given desktop assessments 99 per cent.

To put it bluntly: Hundreds of thousands of people are being shunted on to benefits without any requirement ever to seek work and without even being seen by a doctor or any other official.

It is hardly any wonder that we have ended up with an underclass of workshy people who would rather sponge off the taxpayer than put in a day’s work.

To compound the problem, Chancellor Rachel Reeves has increased benefits in line with inflation while lumbering the working population with extra tax.

She claims to have spared working ­people, yet more and more people are being sucked into income tax, and into the higher tax bracket, thanks to her decision to continue the freeze on ­allowances.

The 40 per cent rate, meant only for high earners when Nigel Lawson introduced it in 1988, is steadily becoming the standard rate of income tax. What kind of incentive to work is that?

With the spring statement, Reeves has a choice with welfare. Does she tickle around at the edges or does she attempt something much more radical?

There is nothing kind, or humane, about dumping people on benefits for years on end

Nearly three decades ago, John Major’s government tried the latter: It carried out a trial where 6,800 benefit claimants in Medway were put on compulsory work placements.

If they didn’t turn up, they didn’t get paid. Opponents damned it as “workfare” but the results were astounding.

Nearly half the people in the trial simply stopped claiming — presumably because they were claiming fraudulently in the first place.

Some of them might have been living abroad or didn’t even exist.

The trial was so successful that even left-wing columnist Polly Toynbee was impressed, declaring, “Workfare really works.”

But with Blair’s election in 1997 the momentum was lost and no government has attempted anything similar since.

Why not the present government? There is nothing kind, or humane, about ­dumping people on benefits for years on end.

Nor can the economy withstand such huge numbers of idle people — it is little wonder we have such feeble economic growth.

True, there will always be some people who are genuinely too sick to work and do deserve help.

But for the majority of people on out-of-work benefits, the days of idling should be brought to an end.

They should be assessed for work face to face, and if they pass, they should be given the choice: Accept a work placement or go without any help from the state.

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Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall[/caption]

STACEY Solomon’s team of experts on Sort Your Life Out revealed a £7 hack which means you won’t have piles of washing drying around your house.

And better still, with the weather becoming sunnier, it could lower your bills and mean you have less mould in your house too.

BBC

BBC

Cleaning expert Iwan Carrington said a £7 retractable washing line can help save you money on tumble drying bills[/caption]

BBC

With the sunnier weather, you can dry clothes outside in the sun to prevent mould in your home[/caption]

BBC

The line snaps back into the device are you have unhooked it to save space[/caption]

TV star Stacey’s professionals were tasked on the BBC show this week with helping recent single mum Katrina Bowen, who has four kids aged between five and 18.

The Wales-based family were struggling with their cluttered home, which they discovered included 425 stuffed animals, 37 pairs of scissors and 123 fancy dress outfits.

Thankfully Stacey, who gained fame after finishing third on The X Factor in 2009, and her team were on hand to help.

Cleaning expert Iwan Carrington had a handy gadget to sort out the issue of washing drying around the home.

Speaking on tonight’s show on BBC One, he shared: “I do not want to see any more washing hanging in Katrina’s living room window, so I’ve put one of these retractable washing lines in the section of the garden.

“I love these because then when everything’s dried, you can just take them off and they retract. 

“The washing line is gone. Love it.”

You can pick up a retractable washing line for as little as £6.94 from Temu, and they work using a spool mechanism that allows the line to be pulled out for use.

The retractable function means they can be out of sight when not needed.

Their functional designs make them ideal for small spaces, as they provide a drying solution without permanently occupying space.

Dunelm also has a retractable washing line for £7.

The website states: “A neat and practical washing line this Addis Retractable Washing Line is a must have for your home and is available to purchase online today.

“This Addis Retractable Washing Line has up to 15m of drying space meaning you no longer have to put clothes out to dry bit by bit. 

“No more unsightly empty washing lines.”

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The line solves the issue of laundry taking up space in your home[/caption]

Temu

You can pick up a retractable line from Temu for £6.94[/caption]

BBC

Stacey helped the Bowen family on tonight’s show[/caption]

BBC

Stacey helped the family sort out their cluttered house[/caption]

Stacey’s home hacks

Stacey’s Sort Your Life Out is packed with clever tips.

Iwan previously shared a savvy trick for tackling mattress stains – and all you need is bicarbonate of soda, liquid detergent, and an iron.

Speaking to the camera, he says: “I’ve seen a hack online which I am desperate to try, and this is to remove stains from mattresses.”

He starts by mixing toothpaste, a laundry detergent pod, half a cup of warm water, and a spoonful of bicarbonate of soda in a bowl to form a paste.

Then, he soaks a cloth in the mixture and wraps it around an iron – which is turned off.

Sure enough, the video shows the stain fading away, as Iwan exclaims: “It is just disappearing before our eyes. Can you believe what you are seeing? It’s gone.”

He also gave a very handy hack if you want to leave your windows gleaming – coffee filters.

He explained: “These coffee filters are brilliant for cleaning windows because they’re really strong and they’re lint-free as well, so they don’t give any smears. 

“If you’re a coffee drinker and you have a big sack of these in your kitchen, one goes a long way.”

Thankfully the hack doesn’t need to break the bank.

Tesco is currently selling a pack of 40 coffee filters for £1.30, which works out at 3p per one.

DEAR DEIDRE: I HAD finally started to accept my husband might be asexual or gay, when a chance discovery blew my reality apart.

Our sex life has always been problematic because he has struggled to get or keep an erection.

Our two children were conceived by IVF.

But last week, I picked up his phone, mistaking it for mine. The screen lock hadn’t kicked in and I saw the last thing he had logged on to was a dating app. He had been messaging women.

I’m devastated that he has been lying to me all this time. Now I’m considering having my own affair to fulfil both my physical and emotional needs.

I am a fit and attractive woman in my early forties, and am often told I look much younger than I am.

My husband is 45. We have two children, aged eight and six.

He always put his performance issues down to stress or exhaustion because of his busy job and I always hoped things would improve.

But after I conceived our first child through IVF he completely stopped being intimate with me.

I assumed it was his way of being cautious and caring, hoping we would reconnect later.

But I have made repeated efforts over the years and nothing seems to work.

I don’t want my children to experience growing up without a father, as I did, so I have stayed in the marriage for their sake.

Should I leave him, even though I don’t want to disrupt my daughter’s lives?

I feel stuck.

DEIDRE SAYS: Those dating app messages are a red flag, so it’s vital you have an honest and open conversation with him.

He could be searching for support and connections on the apps, despite not being able to act on the latter.

He may also have performance anxiety, and so looks for validation from women online where there is less pressure.

IVF treatment will have been tough on you both, emotionally and psychologically.

Sex for your husband means all kinds of painful things, such as failure and hopelessness.

Say that you feel you are both missing out on a lot of intimacy and want to get close again.

My support packs Reviving A Man’s Sex Drive, and Solving Erection Problems, will also provide help.

LIBIDO OF WIFE IS UP AND DOWN

DEAR DEIDRE: I’M made by my wife to feel like a rubbish lover one minute, porn star the next.

She admits she doesn’t have a high sex drive, and has said she can take it or leave it.

But that doesn’t make me feel good about myself.

I’m 45 and my wife is 42. We have three kids. Life’s hectic but regular intimacy is important, right?

I ask her at least twice a week if we can have sex. She often turns me down but other times she wants sex a lot, especially on holiday.

She sometimes says it’s been the best sex ever.

There’s no balance. I don’t know how to deal with it.

DEIDRE SAYS: Women can feel more like intimacy when they are ovulating. This is when oestrogen levels are higher. And on holiday she’s more relaxed.

But a good sex life is about quality intimacy, not quantity.

If time is an issue it may take away the spontaneity, but put intimacy on the calendar. It’s a way to show you’re both invested in the relationship.

Enjoy simple kisses and cuddles without pushing for more, to take the pressure off your wife to have sex.

The irony is that if you enjoy the connection without pushing for more, it may happen naturally.

PARTNER KEEPS ME IN THE DARK

DEAR DEIDRE: EVEN though I have asked my girlfriend to be open and transparent with me, she is still so secretive and evasive.

I didn’t ask her because I am controlling, just because I don’t want to be only a weekend boyfriend – but it seems she can’t manage it.

I am 41 and she is 38. We have been together for four years but I feel like an afterthought.

She is secretive about what she is doing and where she is going. She often goes out for hours and keeps her phone switched off.

A few weeks ago she went to the gym with a friend, something she has never done before.

I expressed surprise because it was such a change for her. She sniped back at me, saying she was sick of me checking up on her.

Whenever I ask her what she has been doing, she becomes defensive and accuses me of being controlling.

I have no interest in telling her who she can see, or when and where. I also enjoy having a separate life but she is not being honest, and twists my innocent interest.

I said to her some time ago that I wanted us to get married, have a baby and live together but she says there is no rush.

She didn’t bother to tell me for two years that she doesn’t want a baby. I feel so very hurt and unsure.

DEIDRE SAYS: I realise how frustrating this is for you. Your feelings are understandable when it seems she deliberately goes out of her way to keep things from you.

Her defensiveness shows she knows deep down she is in the wrong.

Tell her you want more from the relationship and you are not prepared to wait. If it’s obvious that what you share with her now is all she is offering, perhaps you need to call it a day.

My support pack Standing Up For Yourself may help you to talk to her without making her self-protective.

FEIGNING reluctance, as is the centuries-old tradition, Sir Lindsay Hoyle had to be dragged to the chair as he became Speaker of the House of Commons.

But it seems there is a seat you really would struggle to coax Sir Lindsay into — one in economy class on an aeroplane going somewhere fancy.

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AP:Associated Press

Despite feigning reluctance to take the Speakers’ chair, there is a seat you really would struggle to coax Sir Lindsay into — an economy class one on an aeroplane[/caption]

The lifelong socialist, who is MP for down-to-earth Chorley, Lancs, likes to travel in style at the front of the plane — with taxpayers, of course, footing the bill.

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

Now dubbed “Long Haul Lindsay”, the 67-year-old really doesn’t like turning right when he boards a plane.

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.

Some of Sir Lindsay’s expenditure at times seems more appropriate for a head of state — or a rock star — with five-star hotel stays and chauffeur-driven cars at his beck and call.

Among Hoyle’s eye-watering expenses were luxurious stays at New Delhi’s Taj Mahal, the Four Seasons in Amman, The St Regis in Doha, Westin Grand in the Cayman Islands and the Ritz-Carlton in Los Angeles.

‘Exquisite rooms and spacious suites’

The Speaker also stayed at Chateau Laurier in Canada’s capital Ottawa which boasts of being “one of the nation’s most recognisable landmarks”. His room cost £893 per night.

A busy Parliamentarian, of course, needs feeding when away on business.

Taxpayers picked up Hoyle’s “subsistence” bill at The St Regis totalling more than £800 — and he spent £400 on meal and drinks at the five-star Hotel Due Torri in Verona, Italy.

Last summer Hoyle and his team incurred £15,805 visiting the sun- dappled Cayman Islands, the British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean.

Then there were the plush motors.

In February 2023, Hoyle spent more than £3,000 on chauffeur-driven cars in Los Angeles as well as another £270 on taxi firm Lyft.

Often the destinations he visits while representing British democracy couldn’t be further removed from musty, grey Westminster.

Last summer Hoyle and his team incurred £15,805 visiting the sun- dappled Cayman Islands, the British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean.

And Sir Lindsay claimed £23,643 for a nine-day trip to South Africa and St Helena, another British Overseas Territory.

The First and Business Class flights with British Airways and South African carrier Airlink cost £21,300 for Hoyle and two aides.

There was also another £504 paid to bring “an extra suitcase onboard”.

A spokesperson for the Speakers office said: “The baggage allowance on the Airlink flight from South Africa to St Helena was smaller than the London to Johannesburg leg, so the cost set by the airline for one suitcase had to be paid separately.”

But they declined to say what the extra weight allowance was needed for, adding that it “contained necessary resources to support the trip”.

Former Tory Brexit minister David Jones said: “How many clothes do you need for St Helena?

“It’s in the middle of the Atlantic. I wouldn’t have thought there would be many black tie events there.”

The former Clwyd West MP added: “We’ve got lots of people finding it difficult to make ends meet with the cost of living.

“I think they’ll be concerned at repeated use of taxpayers’ money on what might be described as jaunts to exotic parts of the world.”

On a visit to Australian capital Canberra for a conference for “Speakers and Presiding Officers” from Commonwealth countries in January 2023, Sir Lindsay incurred a £4,400 bill at Crown Chauffeurs.

The firm provides a “VIP limousine service” in the city which ferried him around in an air-conditioned Audi.

Yet Hoyle’s hotel was just 400 yards from the conference venue in a city with a large fleet of taxis.

A spokesman for Hoyle argued that he has little choice but to travel via Business and First ‘to ensure he is able to work effectively while travelling, because the visit starts as soon as he lands’.

Hoyle stayed amid the “exquisite rooms and spacious suites” of the five-star Hotel Realm.

During the three-night stay, he spent £318 at flashy Chinese restaurant Wild Duck.

And Hoyle managed to snaffle First Class flights when travelling between Britain and Australia.

He flew Qantas which promised “a journey of unsurpassed luxury”, with gourmet food and guests waited on by “sommeliers in the sky who can advise on our selection of award-winning wines and champagne”.

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The Speaker also stayed at Chateau Laurier in Canada’s capital Ottawa, where his room cost £893 per night[/caption]

Instagram/commons_speaker

Sir Lindsay at a mosque in Jakarta, Indonesia, as part of a £24,920 jolly in October 2022[/caption]

The bill was £11,589 for a return flight, with the total for his party of three coming to £33,403.

A spokesman for Hoyle argued that he has little choice but to travel via Business and First “to ensure he is able to work effectively while travelling, because the visit starts as soon as he lands”.

They added: “While getting value for money is obviously a key consideration, Business Class flights may be taken in order to be prepared for a busy series of engagements that get underway immediately upon arrival or upon return.

“It also allows for working with a small team of officials or subject specialists during the flight.”

But John O’Connell from the Tax-Payers’ Alliance said: “It’s possible to travel in comfort at a much lower cost than this.

“Sir Lindsay’s life of luxury is looking increasingly unsustainable, given the stratospheric credit card bills he’s tapping up taxpayers for.”

It’s all a long way from the old coal mining village of Adlington, Lancs, where Hoyle was born.

Imbued with socialist values from birth, his dad Doug was also a Labour MP.

Bolton Wanderers fan Hoyle ran his own textile and screen printing business before entering politics as a Labour councillor for Chorley in 1980.

In 1997 he became a Labour MP at Tony Blair’s landslide.

‘Makes Downing Street look like Travelodge’

In 2010 he was elected Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons and impressed with his common sense character and firm hand in silencing windbag MPs.

It was no surprise that he was elected Speaker — an ancient role which predates that of Prime Minister by many centuries — in 2019.

With the role comes lavish apartments overlooking the Thames. The rooms were described by the Sunday Times as making ’10 Downing Street look like a motorway Travelodge’.

By Parliamentary convention, each new Speaker is dragged to the chair pretending they do not want the job — the reason being that it was once a precariously dangerous role.

Between 1471 and 1535, six Speakers were executed.

With the role comes lavish apartments overlooking the Thames. The rooms were described by the Sunday Times as making “10 Downing Street look like a motorway Travelodge”.

Undoubtedly the grandiose lodgings — and the key role the Speaker plays in Britain’s democracy — could go to the heads of the unwary.

So why does Hoyle find it necessary to jet around the globe thousands of miles from Westminster?

Sir Lindsay’s spokesperson says part of the Speaker’s job is “to be an ambassador for the House of Commons.”

They added: “This includes representing the House on the international stage, especially at a time when international affairs are so central to political life, and dialogue between legislatures and parliamentarians plays an ever-important role.”

Hoyle’s spokesperson said that the trips “had tangible outcomes and demonstrate the important role of the Speaker’s soft power in international diplomacy”.

On some of his travels he was accompanied by his wife Catherine. Sir Lindsay’s office said he and his spouse footed the bill for her travel and expenses on these occasions.

Hoyle’s annual trips to British Overseas Territory Gibraltar have also faced questions.

Sir Lindsay likes to stay at the luxury Rock Hotel where Winston Churchill, John Lennon and Sean Connery have also been patrons.

Made Chancellor of the University of Gibraltar in 2020, he attends its annual graduation ceremony.

The University paid for the Speaker and Lady Hoyle’s expenses in 2021 and for Sir Lindsay in 2022.

Aides accompanying the MP were paid for from the public purse.

In the following two years the bill for the Speaker and his officials was picked up by taxpayers.

Since 2021 the total tab has been £15,707.27, including £1,694.23 on food. The flights were Business Class.

Hoyle’s spokesperson told The Sun that as well as his duties with the University of Gibraltar, he has also undertaken a variety of engagements in his role as Speaker.

Marco Chow

A luxury room at the Fairmont hotel in Jakarta, Indonesia where the Speaker enjoyed a stay[/caption]

Tajhotels.com

They include visits to the Speaker of Gibraltar and its parliament, the Governor of Gibraltar, ministers there and the Royal Gibraltar Regiment.

There will undoubtedly be sniggers in the House over Hoyle’s exotic travels as he tries to keep order.

But you’re about as likely to hear a chorus of disapproval about his travel arrangements from MPs as you are seeing Sir Lindsay flying Ryanair for his official duties.

That’s because he decides which members speak and which bill amendments are selected for debate.

So look out for Long Haul Lindsay in a BA lounge soon.

WILLIAM gave racism the red card as he helped at a referee course aimed at improving diversity in football.

The Prince of Wales, 42, joked he “broke the record for the number of high fives in ten minutes” after meeting eager fans at Sporting Khalsa FC, an amateur club in Willenhall, West Midlands.

Reuters

William gave racism the red card as he helped at a referee course aimed at improving diversity in football[/caption]

Reuters

William raises his ref’s flag at the event[/caption]

Reuters

Wills joked he ‘broke the record for the number of high fives in ten minutes’ after meeting eager fans at Sporting Khalsa FC[/caption]

The Aston Villa fan had earlier made a private visit to wish the team good luck ahead of tonight’s vital Champions League knockout tie.

When William finally made it onto the pitch near Wolverhampton, he told the club’s directors Manjit Gill and Inder Grewal: “Sorry to keep you guys waiting. I just broke the record for the number of high fives in ten minutes.”

Remarking that the six-year-old all-weather pitch was “in good nick”, the prince asked: “What is attracting people to play at the moment from different backgrounds? How are you bringing them in?”

The prince, who is patron of the Football Association, was visiting the club which was established in 1991 to hear about a referee training course designed to improve diversity in the sport.

The FA aims to recruit 1,000 people from Black, Asian and Mixed Heritage into refereeing roles as part of its Reflective and Representative campaign.

Now two years into its three-year programme, the FA has already exceeded the original target and is looking to grow the numbers further.

It comes nearly five years after a 53-page diversity report compiled by the Black, Asian and Mixed Ethnicity Referee Support Group alleged that some FA observers made racist comments about referees, effectively blocking them from being promoted to the higher leagues.

Sporting Khalsa FC is one of several clubs across the country that is running courses to teach Black, Asian and Mixed Heritage people over the age of 14 how to become match officials.

On the pitch he was given a crash course in becoming a referee and where he was taught about different whistle tones and flag signals.

But jogging up and down he was told at one point that he didn’t need to blow the whistle.

Then joined a mini kickabout to referee students participating in the course.

Levi Gray, a lieutenant in the British Army and a professional referee, who was part of the officiating team for the 2024 Women’s FA Cup at Wembley Stadium, said afterwards: “We spoke about improving diversity in football and how at the grassroots it can be quite a vulnerable place for people because you don’t have the protection that you have in the professional game so it’s how communities like this [in Walsall] are helping people.”

Raj Randhawa, the FA’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion delivery manager, said afterwards: “For him to come and visit and take time out of his day and meet some of the participants starting their referee journey, it will live long in the memories for them but personally for me as well.”

Villa Park hosts the last 16 tie with Villa taking a 3-1 lead from the first leg away against Club Brugge.

A BEVVY levy will hit drinkers and diners in the pocket when it comes in next month.

The packaging tax could add £1 to a pack of 12 beers as pubs, brewers and supermarkets pass on added costs to customers.

Alamy

A bevvy levy will hit drinkers and diners in the pocket when it comes in next month[/caption]

The new tax, the so-called extended producer responsibility, will charge retailers or producers per tonne of packaging that they use.

The idea is that businesses pay the recycling costs, rather than councils.

Plastic packaging will have a greater fee but because glass and metal are heavier it could end up costing businesses even more — and that will be passed on to households.

Figures from the British Beer and Pub Association show the tax on packaging will add 5p to every 330ml bottle of beer and 7p on a 500ml bottle of ale.

A pack of 12 bottles will go up by 84p.

The BBPA’s Emma McClarkin said: “These new fees could push up the price of iconic British beers which will be a massive blow to brewers, pubs, and punters.

“UK brewers make an average of just 2p profit per bottle of beer, so they’ll have no choice but to pass on extra painful costs to the consumer or possibly end up being forced to leave the market entirely.”

The BBPA also warned that the tax would mean pubs pay twice to dispose of bottles.

They will be classed as household waste, despite pubs already being charged for recycling under commercial waste.

The move could cost the sector £60million.

DOG thefts in the UK fell by a fifth last year, police figures show — but the number of stolen French bulldogs shot up.

There were 51 taken, an increase of more than a third on 2023.

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Dog thefts in the UK fell last year, but stolen French bulldogs surged by over a third[/caption]

It is now the breed most likely to be targeted by crooks as they can cost up to £5,000 from reputable breeders.

In all, an estimated 1,808 dog thefts were rep­orted, according to figures obtained by Direct Line Pet Insurance.

Rottweiler thefts rose most sharply, then border collies and chihuahuas.

In contrast, thefts of XL Bullies fell by almost half following the ban on the breed introduced in February last year.

One in five dogs reported stolen was returned to their owner.

The fall in thefts may be down to new laws making it a criminal offence punishable by up to five years in prison.

The Pet Abduction Act came into effect in May last year.

Adam Burgin, head of Direct Line Pet Insurance, said: “As a nation of pet lovers we hope to continue the downward trend in the number of stolen dogs.

“Our research over the last decade has shown dog theft is a persistent issue and hopefully the Pet Abduction Act 2024 will encourage a change in criminal behaviour in the long-term.

“Those who have fallen victim to dog theft will know the intense stress and trauma that comes with having their beloved pet snatched away from them, often with no closure on knowing what happened to a member of their family.”

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BARBIE’s Margot Robbie is lined up to star as Playboy model Anna Nicole Smith in a film about her life.

The movie is being created by Anna’s close pals, fashion designer Pol’ Atteu and TV producer Patrik Simpson.

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Margot Robbie is lined up to star as Playboy model Anna Nicole Smith in a film about her life[/caption]

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Anna Nicole appeared on the cover of Playboy magazine in 1992 and was named Playmate of the Year in 1993[/caption]

Rex

And Oscar-nominated Margot, 34, is the only name in the frame for the lead role.

Patrik said: “We are eyeing Margot and I think she is our Anna Nicole.”

“After we saw the Barbie movie, Margot was at the screening and I said, ‘That’s our Anna.’

“The way she embodied Barbie, and Pol used to always tease that Anna was the living Barbie. So who better to play her than Margot?”

Pol added: “I can tell you when we met her, we felt something electric and it was such a beautiful moment.”

The pair heard first-hand the stories of Anna’s turbulent life.

They have already written a script and are working with LA-based production company Island Illusion Entertainment on the project.

Speaking at the Charmaine Blake Academy Award celebration gala in Beverly Hills, Patrik said: “Anna was our best friend. Best friends have secrets and we promised Anna we would reveal those secrets.”

Anna Nicole appeared on the cover of Playboy magazine in 1992 and was named Playmate of the Year in 1993.

At 26 she married 89-year-old oil baron J. Howard Marshall, insisting she was not with him for the money.

But after his death she became embroiled in a decades-long legal battle after learning she was not included in his will.

She was later forced to file for bankruptcy.

In 2006, her son died aged 20 of an accidental drugs overdose.

She also had an addiction to prescription painkillers and died of an accidental overdose in 2007, aged 39.

IT’S time for you to pick your top telly Moment of the Year for the Bafta TV Awards.

A panel of experts, and me, have whittled down dozens of possibilities into these six belters.

Now it’s over to you to decide which deserves a gong at a glittering ceremony in London on May 11.

The P&O Cruises Memorable Mo­ment award was deservedly won by the clip of the late Queen Elizabeth II and Paddington Bear, in 2023.

Last year it honoured Tommy Lee Royce’s fiery death in front of Margaret Cawood in Happy Valley.

Both seemed frontrunners from the moment they appeared on the shortlist. But this year appears to be more of an open race.

Over to you to pick the winner . . . 

1. Bridgerton, Netflix

LIAM DANIEL/NETFLIX

Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) reveals his feelings for Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan)[/caption]

THE steamy period drama saw Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton)   reveal his feelings for Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) in a romantic carriage ride.

2. Gavin & Stacey, BBC One

BBC

Smithy’s loved ones are asked to stand if they think he’s doing the wrong thing[/caption]

SMITHY (James Corden) is about to wed Sonia (Laura Aikman). In the ceremony, he asks his loved ones to stand up if he’s doing the wrong thing – and they all do just that.

3. Mr Bates Vs The Post Office, ITV1

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Jo Hamilton (Monica Dolan) is left in tears when her debts double before her eyes[/caption]

SUB-POSTMISTRESS Jo Hamilton (Monica Dolan) calls the Horizon helpline. Despite following their advice, she is left in tears when her debts double before her eyes.

4. Rivals, Disney+

Planet Photos

ONE of the sauciest sections in the sexy show, sees Emily Atack and Alex Hassell strip off for naked tennis as Rupert Campbell-Black and his lover Sarah Stratton.

5. Strictly Come Dancing, BBC One

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BLIND comic Chris McCausland stunned when, with his pro partner Dianne Buswell, the proud Liverpudlian delivered a near-perfect waltz to You’ll Never Walk Alone.

6. The Traitors, BBC One

Eroteme

MANY viewers thought Diane Carson was secretly Paul’s mum, but then in a piece to camera, away from the other contestants, she admitted: “Paul just couldn’t be my son . . . but Ross is.”

Goodnight Sweetheart stage reboot

NICHOLAS LYNDHURST is almost single-handedly keeping the West End alive.

After Only Fools And Horses was turned into a musical, his other big BBC show, Goodnight Sweetheart, could also be getting a stage reboot.

The sitcom saw Gary Sparrow use a time portal to lead a double life with two women; his wife in 1990s London and a barmaid in the capital during World War II.

Now co-creator Maurice Gran, appearing on the Only Fools and Horses Podcast, said: “We’re working on a stage play of Goodnight Sweetheart, we’re possibly going to do a book and we might even do some radio scripts.

“It still has the love of fans I’m delighted to say. It’s a well remembered show, compared to other shows from the same era.

“It made us think that maybe we’ll do something in another medium because we had a lot of good ideas for it.”

Du Beke: Foxtrot off, Jez

ITV

Anton Du Beke has hit back at the Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? host[/caption]

STRICTLY judge Anton Du Beke has hit back at Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? host Jeremy Clarkson for ribbing him over his disastrous performance on the TV quiz’s celebrity version.

Disaster struck at the £32,000 question – about musicals.

The song-and-dance man asked the audience and they failed him so his £16,000 dwindled to the £1,000 safety net.

Anton said: “Jeremy Clarkson said ‘That’s cost you £15,000!’ It was the most excited I’ve ever seen him. It was like he had just got out of a Bugatti Veyron or something.”

Anton also warned: “Never ask the audience. Remember . . .  most people push doors when it’s got ‘Pull’ written on them!”

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ORIGINAL Bake Off hosts Sue Perkins and Mel Giedroyc are getting back together for a podcast – Mel & Sue Should Know by Now, on Audible.

It sees the duo discuss all the things they “should have” learned over the years . . . like following big shows to Channel 4, maybe?

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JASON ISAACS told Virgin Radio he expected White Lotus co- star Patrick Schwarzenegger to be “some horrible, spoiled young prince of Hollywood.”

But he said that while “Patrick knows exactly who his dad is” he was: “One of the most grounded, humble, lovely people.”

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