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GB News host Bev Turner has slammed civil service spending as something that “makes your blood boil” after the Government announced a freeze on nearly all 20,000 procurement cards used by officials.
The cards, which racked up a staggering £675 million bill in the past year, are being suspended this week as part of a major crackdown on wasteful expenditure.
The cards were originally intended as a quick way for civil servants to pay for low-value goods and services.
Instead, they have become a source of significant Government expenditure that ministers are now determined to rein in.
Bev and Andrew were left furious by the “ridiculous” spending
GB NEWS
Bev Turner said: “This story is going to make your blood boil.”
She added: “Well done to the Labour Government for looking into this. But you’re not scot-free here.
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“Let me give you a few examples. In October 2023, £2,493 was spent at a fashionable shoe shop in Barbados.
“Why do civil servants need to spend £2,500 there, working on behalf of the Government and the taxpayer, on shoes in Barbados? Who signed that off? Who signed it off? I don’t understand.
“On January 3rd, 2023, again under the Tories, £673 was spent, which isn’t a large figure, but it is money that you and I have given them.
“If you’re struggling to pay your energy bill, guess what? They spent that money on a website that sells life-sized cardboard cutouts of Harry Styles and the Spice Girls. Ridiculous.”
Andrew Pierce added: “And then there was the money spent in a retro computer shop, £814. and that money was spent by the Prison and Probation Service.
“A shop that sells retro computers, and we’re spending nearly £1,000 on one? That was basically on computer games. I didn’t know the Prison and Probation Service was involved in that. So what’s that for? Is it to keep the prison warders entertained?
“But here’s the funny thing: doing the media round today is Pat McFadden, the Cabinet Office minister. He’s been in charge of a lot of the spending, and he’s rightly suspended the 20,000 cards.
“But since he’s been in the Cabinet, his department has spent £1,820 nearly £2,000 on a learn about the value of money course.
“I’m sorry, why did they need to spend £2,000 on that? What’s the value in spending nearly £2,000? We’re laughing, but it’s not funny, is it? It’s an outrage.”
The Foreign Office even has a specific category for “alcoholic drinks” in bars and nightclubs.
Under the new controls, the maximum spend on hospitality will be slashed from £2,500 to £500.
Any purchases above this limit will require approval from a senior civil servant at director general level.
Pat McFadden, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said the cards should only be provided to officials when it is “absolutely essential”.