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.
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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
