Peers who ‘make great sacrifices' hike their own overnight allowance by a fifth
Peers have awarded themselves an inflation-busting hike in the amount they can claim for overnight stays in London and backed a separate payout for second homes.
Members of the unelected chamber, who Parliament heard 'make great sacrifices', waved through the allowance increase of more than a fifth without a vote.
Changes made to the remittance system last year enabled peers living outside the capital and attending the House of Lords to claim £100 towards the cost of 'hotels, clubs or similar accommodation' on production of receipts.
This was on top of the daily attendance payment that can be claimed of up to £361 and travel expenses.
The overnight allowance was automatically uprated in line with inflation to £103 a night and after approval by peers will now swell to £125 – a 21% rise.
In a further change to the system, a payment will also be made available to contribute towards other London accommodation costs that may be incurred to attend sittings at Westminster, such as for those who rent or own a property that is not their main address.
This has been set at £63 or half the overnight allowance after rounding up.
Outlining the proposals in Parliament, Lords leader Baroness Smith of Basildon said the existing overnight rate of £103 'is not a realistic reflection of the cost of hotels across the capital'.
As such the House of Lords Commission, on which she sits, recommended this was increased to £125-a-night.
Lady Smith added: 'As previously, claims are linked to attending the House on a sitting day, and receipts must be provided.'
On the proposed flat-rate allowance for alternative accommodation in London, the Cabinet minister said: 'This will again be tied to attendance in the House, with a robust system of verification.
'For members whose main address is outside London, they would be able to claim £63-per-night to spend at a designated property in Greater London where they stay and are responsible for the costs.
'To claim, peers must have stayed in the property the day before or the day after attending the House, and the finance team will require documentation to support the claim.'
Her Conservative counterpart Lord True, who when in Government introduced the overnight allowance last year, said: 'It is always difficult to strike a balance, and I think that the commission… has struck a reasonable balance which will support people who come to this House from all over the country, who wish to work hard on behalf of the House and on behalf of the country.'
He added: 'There is a lot of loose talk outside this House about people in this House being lazy and lining their pockets.
'You do not become rich by becoming a member of the House of Lords. Many people here make great sacrifices.
'We should not claim that we are poor or that we are underprivileged, but it is right that the House makes provision to enable those of us who come here to do a hard day's work to enable us to do so in the most reasonable fashion.
'Obviously, there is a duty on us to behave with honesty and clarity, as we all do and will all do, I have no doubt, under these new proposals. I support them.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
14 minutes ago
- Reuters
In Argentina, reserves build-up stalls as dollars exit
BUENOS AIRES, June 6 (Reuters) - The last eleven months have seen a net outflow of $12.3 billion from Argentina, affecting the central bank's ability to accumulate reserves, according to the bank's latest report. As President Javier Milei has attempted to maintain the value of the peso to combat high inflation, relatively high prices for domestic goods and services have encouraged imports and discouraged tourists. The report said that in April, 636 million more dollars left Argentina than entered, the latest in almost a year of outflows. This does not include funds from Argentina's recent deal with the International Monetary Fund. Argentina currently has 38.7 billion in dollar reserves and the $12 billion Argentina has received from the IMF so far has allowed it to lift capital controls that had long blocked foreign investment. "Payments for imports, the negative balance in services and interest, and the structural tourism deficit explain the deterioration of this account this year," it said. "The services sector registered a deficit of $1.161 billion in April ... This deficit was explained by net outflows under 'Travel, tickets, and other card payments,' 'Other services,' and 'Freight and insurance' …, partially offset by net inflows under 'Professional and technical business services,'" the central bank reported. Analysts predicted that the current trend is unlikely to reverse in the short term. "It is happening in an election campaign, with macroeconomic factors supporting the outflow of funds - purchase of goods and services, travel - and in a few months agricultural exports will decrease because of seasonal factors," with major harvests ending, said Pablo Besmedrisnik, economist and director of VDC Consulting. The same central bank report describes how the large fluctuations in the goods sector and continued deficits in the services and primary income, which includes interest payments and dividends, pose a challenge for the government's access to foreign currency.
The Sun
16 minutes ago
- The Sun
Major bar chain to shut ALL 250 venues across the UK for 24 hours next week in unusual business move
A CHAIN of popular cafe bars will close for 24-hours next week. The closure will affect more than 250 branches countrywide on Monday June 9. 4 4 Loungers opened their first store in 2002 in Bristol and have since expanded across the country. They are known for their wide range of food, cocktails and coffees, as well as each lounge having its own unique decor - with some customers not realising it's even a chain. The closure is so that it's staff can enjoy a grand celebration, which they call LoungeFest. Beginning in 2013, the event celebrates the company's 9,000 staff. In an announcement on Facebook, the company wrote: "Attention Loungers! "All of our Lounges will be closed on Monday, 9th June, as we will be heading to our annual staff party - Loungefest! "We do this every year to celebrate everybody's hard work. "Regular Lounging will resume on Tuesday, 10th June." Photos of the event show an exciting mix of music, fairground rides, and a healthy dose of partying. Guy Youll, Loungers' Chief People Officer told Wales Online: "Back in 2013, Loungers was one of the first in the hospitality industry to host a party like this and I'm delighted we've kept close to our roots by continuing every year getting bigger and better. Most popular treats for Brits on holiday "Our teams work incredibly hard all year round so LoungeFest is our way of celebrating them and showing how much we appreciate the dedication and care they put in every day at all our sites to deliver great hospitality. It's going to be quite a party!" Facebook commenters were pleased to see the company showing appreciation for their staff. One wrote: "Well done for treating your staff I hope the staff and you have a brilliant time." While another commented: "Oh that's a lovely thing to do for all the hard working staff." This year's LoungeFest will take place at Ragley Hall in Warwickshire. Its theme is 'at the movies' as the event will be equipped with funfair attractions, DJ sessions, music stages featuring live bands and performances by Loungers' employees - as well as games, activities and complimentary food and drink. 4 4 Loungers was founded in 2002 by a group of three friends on North Street in Bristol. They also run the popular Cosy Club chain of restaurants, as well as the roadside eatery Brightside. As of March 2025, the company operates 291 sites in England and Wales across the three brands. Its 250th Lounge - Pionero Lounge - opened in Rochdale in January 2024. With plans to expand with 10 more restaurants, loyal customers have been begging the company to come to their town. The company won the employer of the year award at the Casual Dining Awards 2025.
Telegraph
17 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Who owns the news? It must not be a group of foreign powers
Who owns the news? Much of the Left has been obsessed with the issue for over a century. They have long railed against press barons and their supposed bias. So it is perhaps surprising that this Labour Government is taking such a lackadaisical approach to foreign states having substantial holdings in British newspapers. The last Conservative government back in December 2023 intervened to put on hold and scrutinise the proposed sale of The Telegraph to a company backed by Sheikh Mansour, the deputy prime minister of the United Arab Emirates. Columnists, including Charles Moore, The Telegraph's former editor, rightly argued that even if there was no actual interference in the newspaper's editorial line, there would be the perception that the paper would no longer be independent. This would fatally undermine the newspaper's standing by throwing away its reputation for fearless reporting, whatever the reality of the situation. The then government listened and last year, in the Digital, Media and Competitions Act, introduced a new regulatory regime to restrict foreign state ownership of newspapers and news magazines. But this Act only set out the broad principle, not the details of how it would be implemented. A total ban would come with its own problems. There would be little risk of editorial interference if, say, the sovereign wealth fund of Norway was a passive investor owning 3pc or 4pc in a UK-listed media company. During the consultations, it was proposed that a 5pc limit may be appropriate to allow for such holdings. Last month the new Government announced that the threshold would not be 5pc, but actually 15pc. I and many of my colleagues in the House of Lords have serious misgivings about this much higher limit, but it is one we can live with. However, there is another aspect of the draft regulations which is unacceptable. The 15pc threshold is not cumulative, it applies to each individual holding. This means that there would be nothing to stop multiple states each owning 15pc of a newspaper. It has been reported that after The Telegraph's proposed takeover by RedBird Capital, Sheikh Mansour intends to retain up to a 15pc stake in the newspaper. With the current proposals there would be nothing to stop, say, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Bahrain from each taking 15pc holdings. A cumulative 60pc of a British newspaper owned by foreign states is a very different proposition. The guarantees against foreign control would have evaporated. Has this potential scenario arisen as a result of an oversight by Lisa Nandy, the Culture Secretary? Alongside 50 of my fellow peers, I have written to Ms Nandy asking for clarification. Signatories include former chancellor Lord Lamont, former trade secretary Lord Lilley, long-time chairman of the 1922 committee Lord Brady, ex-director of public prosecutions Lord Macdonald and the current chairman of Ipso, the independent press regulator, Lord Faulks. Our fears could be easily assuaged by simply amending the proposed regulations to ensure that 15pc is a cap on total foreign ownership. If the move is deliberate, it raises serious questions about this Government's commitment to a free press. The statutory instrument implementing the Government's regulations has now been laid and will shortly come before both Houses of Parliament. If the proposals reach the Lords in their current form, I and many of my colleagues will not be able to support the measure. The Telegraph's ownership has been left in limbo for two years so far. It is time for the new regulatory framework to be put in place that will allow its smooth transfer to new owners. But this must be done in a way that entrenches the traditional freedoms of our press. The issues are much wider than the future of just one newspaper.
