After The Spectator’s Spaff probe brought the rather alarming extent of government waste to light, the Labour lot have hastened their crackdown on frivolous spending. The latest target? Credit cards.
Thousands of government credit cards will be cancelled in a bid to crack down on wasteful spending, the Cabinet Office has said. Whitehall departments and their associated agencies will be instructed to freeze their cards this week with ‘only a minority’ to be exempt from the cull – after figures revealed that over the last four years, credit card spending quadrupled. Sir Keir Starmer’s crowd is keen to reduce the number circulating by half as it ploughs ahead with its efficiency drive – after data showed a staggering £675 million was spent on government cards in 2024/25. Talk about sparing no expenses, eh?
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden lambasted the frivolous financing, remarking:
It's not right that hundreds of millions of pounds are spent on government credit cards each year, without high levels of scrutiny or challenge. Only officials for whom it is absolutely essential should have a card.
The new rules will mean any Whitehall mandarin that wants to hold onto a credit card will be forced to reapply for one and make the case for why exactly they need it. More than that, tighter spending controls will be brought in – with the top spend for hospitality splashed from a whopping £2,500 to £500, with director general approval required for higher sums. And Whitehall departments have been told to review spending on government procurement cards – with orders to take disciplinary action in the case of overspending and revoke the offending card. Civil servants aren't going to know what's hit them…
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