After famously criticising Rishi Sunak for his ‘£180 Bluetooth coffee mug’ back in July last year, Labour’s Angela Rayner seems to have started something of a gadget war. On Monday she came under fire for claiming a pair of Apple AirPods on parliamentary expenses. It was then swiftly pointed out that Peter Bone has also splashed out on some tax-payer funded ear gear. When it comes to the latest tech trends, Westminster is clearly leading the way. So here’s where to procure some parliamentary gadgetry of your own:
Bluetooth coffee cup, Rishi Sunak
Angela Rayner’s online sleuthing may have led her to the conclusion that Rishi’s snazzy bluetooth self-heating mug set him back £180 but there are less expensive models on the market. Amazon stocks a £10 USB charged coaster that will do the job just fine – although perhaps it lacks some of the kerb appeal of Rishi’s special brew.
AirPods, Angela Rayner
It’s understandable why Rayner was keen to show off her parliamentary-expensed £249 purchase on Instagram – they do look good in a selfie and are said to add a certain prowess to your Zoom calls with constituents. Hell, why not go the whole hog and chuck in a AirBud case by Lucrin, conveniently available in Labour red and Tory blue amongst other colours? But true politicos may want to take a leaf out of the PM’s book and invest in a slightly more affordable, analogue model of headphones – preferably paired with Bermuda shorts and a beanie.
iPad Pro, Fabian Hamilton (Shadow Foreign Secretary)
Back in March last year, IPSOS granted MPs a budget of £10,000 to beef up their constituency houses with all the tech they needed to work from home. According to The Telegraph, Shadow Foreign Secretary Fabian Hamilton duly splashed out on the latest Apple gear, including an iPad Pro. The Liquid Retina display of this £809 accessory certainly makes it eye catching and according to John Lewis it is particularly good for streaming HD videos and playing games. It’s certainly one way to make those pesky select committee meetings fly by.
Apple Pencil, Barry Gardiner
There are ordinary HB pencils and then there are Apple pencils. Labour’s Barry Gardiner already wowed the world with his brave soft furnishings on Zoom and is now taking his style statements to the next level. His daring white sofa, being suspiciously stain free, raised more questions than it answered. Not content with doing DFS’s job for them, he’s apparently been busy sharpening his parliamentary scrutinising with his very own £89 Apple Pencil, manufactured in Steve Jobs’ signature white and purchased via his parliamentary expenses. We sense a colour theme coming on.
Apollo Bike, Jeremy Hunt
Known for enjoying a leisurely jog in his luxury Gore running gear, the former Health Secretary has more modest tastes when it comes to his bike. You can pick up a basic Apollo at Halfords for around £120. Having once got into hot water for installing a shower in his Westminster office so that he could cycle to work, Hunt certainly isn’t shy about flashing his cycling credentials. His trusty helmet is often hung on the back of his study door during Zoom calls.
Clive Betts, Lego Houses of Parliament
When it comes to Zoom paraphernalia, Clive Betts pips every parliamentarian in Westminster to the post. Eagle eyed politicos spotted what looked like a giant lego model of Parliament behind the MP for Sheffield South East during a video call. Those who want to build their own version can enjoy blowing their cancelled summer holiday budget on this £524 set. Like Clive, you should adhere to the 16+ age recommendation. At least one of us has put those long lockdown evenings good use.
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