A prominent London food bank is calling for an end to subsidised food for MPs in Westminster.
The North Paddington Food Bank (NPFB) has so far received over 82,000 signatures on a petition calling for an end to public spending that props up catering for UK politicians.
According to the campaign, MPs can tuck into three-course meals for just over £10 in Westminster, with subsidies reportedly invested across 17 bars and eateries.
Subsidizing meals in the House of Commons for politicians and parliamentary pass holders is thought to cost the UK taxpayer up to £7 million a year.
While those in Westminster can take advantage of publicly funded meal discounts, the campaign pointed out that three million Brits relied on food banks last year alone.
This disparity is something that the NPFB is trying to raise awareness of, calling for more priority on ending poverty and hunger across the UK.
“This misuse of public funds is especially unsavoury given the growing food insecurity, and politicians have been branded “out of touch” for their response to the Cost-of-Living Crisis, with comments suggesting poor people “cannot cook properly” and “cannot budget”. Meanwhile, MPs enjoy restaurant-quality meals on the cheap, thanks to public subsidies,” the campaign says.
MPs currently earn an annual salary of £91,346 and have access to a number of bars and restaurants on-site in the Commons.
Some signatories shared their thoughts in response to the petition, with one adding: “I’ve got no problem with food being available for MPs but they should be offered the equivalent of school dinners. If those meals are good enough for children they should be good enough for MPs.”
Another wrote: “Our parliament should be working to reduce inequalities and to ensure food insecurity is eradicated. Instead, they use our taxes to subsidise their luxury lifestyles.”
It’s not the first time that MPs have been called out for subsidised lunches and dinners. In 2022, chef Tom Kerridge criticised politicians for failing to provide free school meals to some children, while enjoying discounted dinners themselves.
A Twitter account called ParliScran revealed last year that a soup, salad, and chips combo costs as little as £2.70.
So, what perks do MPs get when it comes to their food? Here’s what you need to know.
Can MPs claim expenses for food?
According to a request under the Freedom of Information Act, MPs used to be able to claim up to £15 for evening meals as part of their expenses, excluding alcohol.
However, that has since changed.
Based on the latest MPs’ Scheme of Business Costs and Expenses, MPs don’t have a daily meal allowance as part of their expenses.
So, MPs are expected to pay for food and don’t get a reimbursement for their meal expenses. However, some food is subsidised so they pay a discounted price.
Do MPs get catered food in the commons?
According to the UK Parliament website, around 650 Members of Parliament and 14,500 staff have access to on-site catering.
Restaurants and dining rooms in Westminster also host private events, and some venues profit from this.
According to the parliamentary website: “Catering services for the House of Commons are provided by an in-house team who do not provide a subsidised service in the commercial sense of the word. Some venues make a profit, referred to as contribution because it contributes to reducing overall costs.”
A UK Parliament spokesperson told the Evening Standard: “Our catering venues serve over a million customers every year - including visitors, MPs, Peers and journalists - as well as the thousands of staff who keep Parliament running 24 hours a day. All items are sold above cost price and we continuously seek to reduce costs.“
“Parliament is a unique working environment and our high volume of customers - spread across a number of different outlets and buildings - means that additional costs are unavoidable. Prices in our venues are benchmarked against those in the immediate area, increasing most recently in the Spring 2024. This has helped ensure our catering venues are providing value for money, while continuing to support those working on the parliamentary estate.”
How much is spent on subsidising MPs’ food in the Commons?
In 2022, it cost around £7.5 million to operate the catering services across the House of Commons, according to Full Fact.
While past reports have suggested that spending on catering was in the realm of £17 million, this covered a period of three years.
Official reports maintain that there’s been a reduction in food subsidies in recent years, but there’s also been a lot of waste.
The Mirror reported that 318,000kg of subsidised food was thrown away in 2022, and Lib Dem MP Wera Hobhouse was quoted by the outlet as saying: “It’s a sorry state of affairs that there were tonnes of subsidised food waste while people spent winter having to choose between heating and eating.”
