Minister claimed thousands of pounds on expenses for promotional videos
Labour minister Al Carns has claimed thousands of pounds on parliamentary expenses for promotional videos including one showing him doing pull-ups at a fire station in competition with a firefighter.The veterans minister and former Royal Marine, who is tipped by some MPs as a leadership hopeful, claimed about £3,000, approved by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa), for the production of 17 videos that show him interacting with local businesses.In the series of films, Carns is shown chatting with fire officers and taking part in a “MP v firefighter pull up challenge”, as well as visiting a local brewery where he is filmed having a pint, saying: “It’s really important we in government help companies like this thrive.”Another video shows him at a museum about life in history, where he mentions he spent “weeks, if not months in the field in the marines where it was hard going being outside for that amount of time”.He is also shown handling armour, saying: “I’ve worn body armour my whole life – for 24 years.
”Overall, he claimed about £14,000 for the services of a PR consultant who has highlighted on LinkedIn her work with Carns and a videographer on a “series of short films shining a light on just some of the incredible work taking place across Al’s Birmingham Selly Oak constituency”.Carns said most of the PR consultant’s work and costs related to “day-to-day constituency office support, including administrative work, engagement with local organisations and outreach on behalf of constituents”.He said that his overall staff spending of £111,000 was “significantly below typical levels for MPs” and that the contractor had also been employed by his predecessor.Carns’s clips appear to be part of a trend of MPs using video more to communicate with the public, though it is not clear how many of them are claiming expenses to do so.Ipsa rules state that MPs may only access funding for costs they or their staff incur as a result of their parliamentary functions, and that MPs must not use funding for costs relating to activities that are explicitly or primarily aimed at promotion of their own political profile.
Carns said the expenditure was “made in full compliance with IPSA rules, and has been properly declared and approved”.His office added: “The video content forms part of Al’s work to communicate with constituents and highlight the work of local organisations and public services across the constituency.It is focused on engagement, and transparency, not personal promotion.“The video you mention was filmed during a routine visit to a local fire station.We use the videos to champion people and organisations who work so hard on behalf of the constituency: NHS, food banks, community and volunteer groups, and the fire and rescue service.
“The fire and rescue service plays a vital role in keeping communities safe, and highlighting that work is a vital part of constituency engagement and community cohesion.”The expenses were approved by Ipsa, which this month released a new rulebook giving MPs greater flexibility and discretion over what they can claim in business costs.It condenses about 45 pages of rules down into a new 10-page scheme based on “principles”, removing much of the details into separate guidance which will come into force on 1 April.The new scheme will allow outer-London MPs to claim for hotels or rented accommodation near parliament instead of a higher living allowance for the first time if they choose to do so.Last month, James Murray, a Treasury minister, highlighted the increasing costs of the MP expenses system after the watchdog requested another £13m to cover MPs’ claims.
The cost of the system is now about £281m a year – up from £242m the year before – outstripping inflation,Murray said in a letter: “If Ipsa were a normal government department, HMT would reject their current reserve claim,The pressure arises from higher demand against existing policies and budget entitlements, rather than from a new or unavoidable policy decision or cost shock,”In relation to the changes, an Ipsa spokesperson said: “We want to make sure MPs have the right amount of flexibility to determine how to run their parliamentary affairs,“Our scheme of MPs’ staffing and business costs will continue to outline the fundamental rules which must be followed, and we always take robust action to address regulatory risks and provide transparency to the public.
“This evolution of our approach brings us in line with other areas of public life and other regulators – such as the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards – which operate a similar model,”
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