Sir Lindsay Hoyle was under increasing pressure on his lush travel costs last night – after admitting that errors in the official parliament log of how the money was spent.
Critics of the Commons speaker demanded a probe to determine how many other entries can be wrong after he promised to correct the record about a trip to Gibraltar.
The revelation is embarrassing for Sir Lindsay, because it is usually his job to tell the MPs to correct the record if they have misled the commons.
His office said yesterday that there had been an 'admin error' and that this would be corrected to 'make clear' how taxpayers' were spent money.
It concentrated around that his wife, Lady Catherine Hoyle, had paid to travel with him.
The speaker claimed more than £ 4,100 for the trip, including more than £ 2,000 for flights in company class, £ 1,320 for accommodation and more than £ 700 for food and drink.
He said in the official parliament log that it was for him and three employees, who raised questions about whom his wife had paid to participate, but had not collected the tab for him.
Asked for the post, his office said that the University of Gibraltar – where Sir Lindsay is a chancellor – in fact – had paid for his wife and him.
Critics of Common's speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle (photo) demanded a probe to determine how many other entries can be wrong after he promised to correct the record about a trip to Gibraltar
The speaker claimed more than £ 4,100 for the trip to Gibraltar, including flights, accommodation and food and drink. Displayed: The Rock Hotel in Gibraltar, where Hoyle has stayed
It also paid for a third official, where his office was clarified that taxpayers therefore collected the bill for another three members of his staff to participate.
It means that six people went on the trip in total in December 2021, even though it is just for his 'installation as a Chancellor of the University of Gibraltar and Bilateral Program', according to the official parliamentary logbook. It was previously thought that only four were present.
Critics have wondered why taxpayers have to pick up the tab for his travels to Gibraltar, given his function of Chancellor at the university, has nothing to do with his speaker role. Sir Lindsay has invoiced taxpayers almost £ 16,000 for four trips to the rock.
Yesterday the post also revealed how his wife went to Los Angeles with him in February 2023, where Sir Lindsay gave a single lecture with police students at the University of South California.
During the trip, he splashed more than £ 3,000 at a limousine company for a driver-driven car, almost £ 300 on Taxi app Lyft and more than £ 3,000 on accommodation.
His wife also went with him to Verona in Italy for a G7 speaker conference in September last year, and cost the taxpayer a total of £ 14,585.
On both occasions, Sir Lindsay's office said that he and his wife have set the bill for her journey and expenditure.
But critics wondered if her presence on official work travel funded by the taxpayer was needed and whether it was possible to keep her expenses completely separate.
The list, obtained through applications for freedom of information, breaks down the extravagant amounts
Speaker of the Sir Lindsay Hoyle Sir Lindsay with his wife Lady Catherine with their pets
Sir Lindsay (photo) has invoiced taxpayers almost £ 16,000 for four trips to the rock
John O'Connell, Chief Executive of the alliance of the taxpayers, said: 'Recent revelations about the costs of the speaker have asked serious questions about him and the treatment of taxpayers by his office.
'While his spokespersons are that these costs are part of his diplomatic work, the extravagance of the expenditure means that their credibility is stretched into a breaking point. It is now time for an investigation. '
Tom Brake, director of campaign group unlocked Democracy and a former deputy commons leader, added: 'Given the damage that the stories of the costs in the past have made to parliament, and the challenging financial situation of the country, extra vigilance is required of parliamentary members and the speaker to ensure that traveling and accomplaataties.
Last week the post revealed how Sir Lindsay has spent more than £ 250,000 since October 2022 on 19 foreign trips.
The count included more than £ 180,000 alone on flights in the first and business class, because he will not fly economics. Tens of thousands of more went on limousine companies, five -star hotels and top restaurants.
Regarding the error, the speaker's spokesperson said: 'This was a simple admin error that will be updated tomorrow, to make clear what the university has paid for. The costs of £ 4,000 were for three employees. Employees always strive for accuracy and sometimes mistakes are made. '
