Latest news with #taxpayersmoney
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Concerns raised over UK asylum seekers using public funds for gambling
Asylum seekers are using taxpayer handouts to fund their gambling habits. Pre-paid cards given out to pay for basics including food and clothing are being used in gambling venues such as bookmakers, amusement arcades and even casinos, Home Office data shows. In the last year, up to 6,537 asylum seekers have used the government-issued cards at least once for gambling. The shock figures were released under freedom of information laws to the PoliticsHome website. They triggered calls for an immediate clampdown to prevent the abuse of taxpayers' money by asylum seekers, including many who entered the country illegally. Last night, the Home Office confirmed it had launched an inquiry into the scandal. It came as Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp (pictured) described the 'shocking' figures as 'an insult to taxpayers'. 'These people have illegally entered this country without needing to – France is safe and no one needs to flee from there,' he said. 'The British taxpayer has put them up in hotels and now they slap us in the face by using the money they are given to fund gambling. These illegal immigrants clearly don't need the money they are given if they are squandering it at casinos and arcades. Labour has lost control of our borders with record numbers for illegal immigrants crossing the Channel this year. The number in asylum hotels has gone up since the election and now we learn of this insult to British taxpayers. Everyone illegally crossing the Channel should be immediately removed to their country of origin or a safe third country in order to deter these crossings.' So-called Aspen cards are issued to asylum seekers while they wait to have their claims dealt with – a process that can take months, or even years. Those in self-catered accommodation receive £49.18 on the card each week to pay for 'clothes and footwear, non-prescription medicines, travel, food, non-alcoholic drinks, toiletries, laundry, toilet paper and communications'. The cards are currently issued to around 80,000 individuals who are waiting for a decision on whether they have a valid claim to stay in the UK. Many are living in hotels at the taxpayers' expense. The Home Office last night said: 'The Home Office have begun an investigation into the use of Aspen cards. The Home Office has a legal obligation to support asylum seekers, including any dependants, who would otherwise be destitute.' The Home Office is able to track where the cards are used but does not block payments for particular types of transaction. The figures reveal that significant numbers of asylum seekers are now using the cards to gamble. The Home Office figures break down how many asylum seekers attempted to use their cards in gambling venues each week. They do not record how many times each individual attempted to use their card in that week. They show that an average of 125 asylum seekers a week used their cards with 'gambling-related merchants'. Dozens used the cards every week, with 177 using them to gamble in Christmas week when many venues are closed. The figures peaked at 227 in one week at the end of November last year. The Aspen cards use a chip and pin system so cannot be used for contactless payments or online. A Home Office source insisted it was 'not possible' to use the cards to directly place a bet. However, the data is understood to include withdrawals made from cash machines inside venues such as amusement arcades and casinos – where gambling is the sole focus. Paul Bristow (pictured), Tory mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, suggested gambling by asylum seekers at the taxpayers' expense may even be fuelling the growth of the industry. He told PoliticsHome: 'Peterborough has seen a huge increase in the number of gambling establishments and gaming centres, and a huge increase in men who've arrived on small boats. It's not unusual to see the very same men in some of the establishments on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday night. There's something going on here. Questions need to be asked. It would be absolutely wrong if they were using money given to them by British taxpayers to waste on gambling.' Reform UK's deputy leader Richard Tice said: 'This revelation, coupled with migrants working illegally, shows that the Home Office is incapable of policing the illegal migrant population. This is a slap in the face to hardworking British taxpayers who are struggling to make ends meet.' The revelations are likely to fuel concerns about the explosion in small boat crossings under Labour. Around 20,000 people crossed the Channel illegally in the first half of this year – a rise of 50 per cent on the previous year. Public anger is already mounting over the policy of accommodating tens of thousands of asylum seekers in hotels across the country, with angry protests erupting in recent days in Epping, in Essex, Diss in Norfolk and Canary Wharf, in London. The Aspen cards were introduced to provide basic subsistence for asylum seekers who are not legally allowed to work or claim benefits in most cases. But ministers are increasingly concerned at evidence of illegal working by asylum seekers, which may allow some to treat their taxpayer-funded handouts as pin money. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has ordered a clampdown on illegal working this week following a string of reports about asylum seekers earning money in the gig economy with delivery firms such as Deliveroo and Just Eat . In some cases, delivery bikes bearing the firms' logos have been seen parked outside asylum hotels.
Telegraph
20-07-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
SNP ‘squanders' £20m of public money on ‘woke' jobs and training
SNP ministers have been accused of 'wasting' £20 million of taxpayers' money on 'woke' jobs and training in Scotland's huge public sector. The Scottish Tories said figures showed the sum has been spent on equality, diversity and inclusion (IDE) roles and training since 2019. The total included £2.5 million spent by Scottish councils, £1 million by the justice sector, £8.9 million by the NHS, £5.9 million by universities and £1.7 million by the Scottish Government. The Tories said the real total is likely to be much higher, as many organisations said they could not provide their spending as the figure was not held centrally. Rachael Hamilton MSP, the Scottish Conservatives' deputy leader, said: 'Hard-pressed Scots will be outraged that the SNP have squandered millions on woke training and roles, when they are making savage cuts to vital public services. Examples of the spending uncovered by the FoIs include £3,000 for membership of Stonewall's controversial Diversity Champions Scheme and £1,100 on transgender awareness training. The spending was disclosed after The Telegraph reported in February that there are 46 Scottish Government employees with 'diversity', 'equality' or 'inclusion' in their job titles. Kaukab Stewart, the SNP Equalities Minister, said they were on course to cost the public purse around £4 million in 2024-25, the equivalent of £86,326 for each post. It also emerged that more than 6,000 SNP government staff have taken part in 'mandatory annual inclusive culture training' to ensure they all feel welcome and valued in the workplace. Ms Hamilton said: 'This is yet another example of the SNP prioritising ideological projects over the issues that people actually care about. 'It's difficult to justify this level of spending when the NHS remains in permanent crisis mode, educational standards are plummeting, and Scotland continues to have the highest drug death rate in Europe. 'It's no wonder Scots are fed up with Left-wing politicians at Holyrood. They're wasting taxpayers' money like it's going out of fashion.' The IDE job costs were published amid a landmark employment tribunal brought by nurse Sandie Peggie against NHS Fife and Beth Upton, a transgender doctor who was allowed to use a female hospital changing room. Isla Bumba, the health board's equalities officers, told the tribunal last week that the definition of biological sex was 'far more complex' than whether someone had a male or female body. She said she would 'hazard a guess' that she was female, but she had not had her chromosomes tested to find out 'what my own body is made of biologically.' Ms Bumba also said that she did not need to 'know anything' about the body of Dr Upton, who was born male, before advising that the medic should be given access to the female changing room at Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy, Fife. JK Rowling took to social media at the weekend to accuse NHS Fife of being 'ideologically captured' but placed blame at the door of the SNP government. 'This is Nicola Sturgeon's legacy: a government that publicly backs the hapless, unprofessional, ideologically captured health board that's persecuting a nurse for asserting her legal right to a single-sex changing room,' she wrote. The tribunal is scheduled to resume on Monday morning after NHS Fife released a controversial media statement on Friday afternoon that accused Sex Matters, a human rights charity which is backing Ms Peggie, of 'steering public opinion' on the row. It also said the debate on the case had led to staff receiving personal attacks, including a threat of physical harm and sexual violence reported to Police Scotland. But the board was forced to amend the statement at least twice after Ms Peggie's lawyers accused it of suggesting that her supporters were behind the attacks. A sentence was added saying Sex Matters had not 'contributed to the behaviour or issues mentioned above.' But Russell Findlay, the Scottish Tory leader, demanded that NHS Fife's board, including chief executive Carol Potter, resign over its 'dire' handling of the case. An NHS Fife spokesman said: 'As this is an active legal case, it would be inappropriate to respond to these comments.' A Scottish Government spokesman said: 'It would be inappropriate to comment further while judicial proceedings in an employment tribunal are ongoing.' Ms Sturgeon's spokeswoman was approached for comment.
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Millions still spent on abandoned fire control site
Almost £30m of taxpayers' money has been spent on maintaining an empty fire control centre, which was never used. The idea to operate fire services across five East Midlands counties from the site in Castle Donington was suggested in 2004 as part of a nationwide reorganisation dubbed FiReControl which was later scrapped. But not before the government had signed a 25-year contract in 2007 for the £14m building, which must run until 2033. Costs, including rent, rates, utilities and security for the site, currently account for about £2.5m a year, so a further £20m or more could need to be spent by the contract's end. Releasing ongoing financial details of the contract, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) confirmed to the BBC that there are "no circumstances" that could end the contract earlier than was agreed in 2007. The 2024/25 financial year saw £2,580,154.62 spent on the building in Warke Flatt. The MHCLG said while it was tied to the contract, it was looking to find an alternative use or an occupier for the site to offset the ongoing costs. A spokesperson said: "We are working to find new tenants for these buildings so that we can deliver value for money for taxpayers." The three-story site in Willowbrook Farm Business Park was planned to open in 2009 to handle emergency calls for Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire and Nottinghamshire. It would have been one of nine new centres replacing the existing 46 control rooms across the country. The Fire Brigades Union opposed the plans as costly and potentially leading to a reduction in service. And by 2010 the project had been scrapped. In 2011, a committee of MPs said the entire scheme was a "complete failure" and had cost almost half a billion pounds. Follow BBC Leicester on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@ or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210. Fire centres costing £7.6m a year Fire control centre handed over Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
BBC News
06-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Abandoned East Midlands fire control centre still costs millions
Almost £30m of taxpayers' money has been spent on maintaining an empty fire control centre, which was never idea to operate fire services across five East Midlands counties from the site in Castle Donington was suggested in 2004 as part of a nationwide reorganisation dubbed FiReControl which was later not before the government had signed a 25-year contract in 2007 for the £14m building, which must run until including rent, rates, utilities and security for the site, currently account for about £2.5m a year, so a further £20m or more could need to be spent by the contract's end. Releasing ongoing financial details of the contract, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) confirmed to the BBC that there are "no circumstances" that could end the contract earlier than was agreed in 2024/25 financial year saw £2,580,154.62 spent on the building in Warke Flatt. The MHCLG said while it was tied to the contract, it was looking to find an alternative use or an occupier for the site to offset the ongoing costs.A spokesperson said: "We are working to find new tenants for these buildings so that we can deliver value for money for taxpayers." The three-story site in Willowbrook Farm Business Park was planned to open in 2009 to handle emergency calls for Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire and would have been one of nine new centres replacing the existing 46 control rooms across the Fire Brigades Union opposed the plans as costly and potentially leading to a reduction in by 2010 the project had been 2011, a committee of MPs said the entire scheme was a "complete failure" and had cost almost half a billion pounds.
Telegraph
08-06-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Reform launches attack on the Bank of England
Reform has launched a blistering attack on the Bank of England for wasting tens of billions of taxpayers' cash on its money-printing programme. Richard Tice, the party's deputy leader, accused Threadneedle Street of prioritising bank profits over the interests of working people as he vowed to order it to stop paying billions of pounds in interest to commercial lenders. In a letter to Andrew Bailey, the Governor of the Bank of England, Mr Tice says the Bank has engaged in 'systemic misuse of taxpayers' money' by paying interest on cash parked at the Bank as well as selling its existing stockpile of government bonds at substantial losses. Reform, which is leading several polls, claims it could save £35bn a year by scrapping interest on central bank reserves, created as part of the Bank's £895bn quantitative easing (QE) programme to boost the economy during the financial crisis and Covid lockdowns. It wants to use this money to help pay for an increase in the tax-free personal allowance to £20,000 and cut corporation tax. Mr Tice said the unwinding of this programme – known as quantitative tightening (QT) – was pushing up borrowing costs and piling pressure on the public finances. 'The Bank of England is unnecessarily wasting tens of billions of pounds of taxpayers' money, whilst enriching City institutions,' the letter says. 'The nation's accounts are already under very severe pressure. QT is also partly responsible for keeping gilt yields higher than they otherwise would be, resulting in even more punitive interest costs, imposing yet more strain on the [public finances].' The remarks put the Bank on a collision course with Reform if the party wins the next election. Mr Bailey has warned that a victory for Reform could lower savings rates or push up borrowing costs for consumers. Commercial banks earn interest on reserves held at the Bank at the base rate. Threadneedle Street made huge profits from QE when interest rates were at record lows of 0.1pc because the returns on the government gilts it bought were far higher than the amount it had to pay in interest on reserves. A total of £123.9bn was generated and sent to the Treasury. However, this rapidly reversed when borrowing costs started to rise, with £85.9bn transferred back from the Treasury to the Bank since the end of 2022. NatWest, Barclays, Lloyds and Santander received more than £9bn in interest on Bank of England reserves in 2023 – a 135pc increase on the previous year, according to the Treasury committee of MPs. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), the Government's tax and spending watchdog, expects the cumulative lifetime loss to the taxpayer to total £133.7bn – which is bigger than the annual education budget and more than twice what the UK spends on defence. Reform is not alone in its criticism of QT. Former Bank deputy governors including Sir Paul Tucker and Sir Charlie Bean have also suggested changes to how reserves are remunerated. Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, also wrote to Mr Bailey last month to stress that the process of reducing the Bank's stockpile of bonds must provide 'value for money'. However, the Governor has repeatedly warned that ending interest payments on reserves could undermine the Bank's ability to influence the cost of borrowing, while another former policymaker, Gertjan Vlieghe, said such a move would be a 'disaster' akin to a debt default. Mr Tice used the letter to describe the comparison as 'complete nonsense'. He said: 'This money was created out of thin air by the Treasury and Bank of England to lubricate the wheels of the economy at two times of extreme national stress over the last 18 years. 'It did not belong to those City institutions in the first place. It is no coincidence that commercial bank profits have soared as interest rates rose as the Bank of England paid out tens of billions of this voluntary interest. Those institutions cannot believe their luck.' Catherine Mann, a member of the Bank's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) that sets interest rates, has also warned that policymakers must pay closer attention to the impact of QT on financial markets and the wider economy now that it is cutting interest rates. She estimated that QT could raise borrowing costs by almost a quarter of a percentage point. Mr Bailey has repeatedly spoken out against changing the way commercial lenders are compensated for parking their cash at the Bank, warning that it could undermine financial and monetary stability if lenders no longer wished to hold extra buffers at the Bank. In a letter to the Treasury select committee in April, Mr Bailey said: 'Remuneration of reserves is a key component of the Bank's approach to ensuring rate control. Any loss of rate control would undermine the MPC's ability to affect the real economy with its interest rate decisions and could cause significant harm to credibility of monetary policy.' However, Mr Tice denied that Reform would be interfering with the Bank's independence, comparing the Bank's choices to 'extraordinary strategic decisions which amount not to monetary policy but to fiscal policy, costing the taxpayer tens of billions of pounds of losses'. He added: 'The role of elected governments and politicians is to protect taxpayer's money and the broader interests of the electorate. It would be negligent of us to ignore this very significant issue and leave it in the hands of unelected people. Our job is to challenge, scrutinise and question'. A Bank of England spokesman said: 'The Governor set out the Bank's views on the matter in a letter to the Treasury Select Committee.'
