Tribunal rules former PMs’ expenses to be made public knowledge

Two years ago the British cabinet office refused requests for expenses taken by former Prime Ministers to be made public saying it was an invasion of privacy. But now the government has been ordered to release details of hundreds and thousands of pounds worth of expenses paid to former prime ministers.

Judge Anisa Dhanji ruled that ex prime ministers have expenses for the whole of their lives and that the public have a right to know everything about these allowances and what they are spent on with the interest in seeing that the use of public money is appropriate. She stated it is “arguably even greater” to know of ex PMs’ expenses than that of unelected former politicians.

The sums actually claimed by Gordon Brown, Tony Blair, Sir John Major and Baroness Thatcher have been published but a breakdown of these monies has not been made available to the public.

Apparently the amount of money now dispensed for ex PMs has fallen since the death of Thatcher from £407,000 to £216,000. John Major introduced the public duty costs allowance in 1991.  It is tax free and paid in addition to pensions.