Another MP Just Stuck Us With the Bill for Her Christmas Party

By HOAR Team 8 June, 2025 5 mins read 93 Views

God, here we go again.

So apparently Sarah Gibson - that's the Lib Dem MP for Chippenham - thought it would be perfectly fine to take her entire team out for Christmas dinner and then send the £154 bill straight to us taxpayers. Because why should she pay for her own staff party when she can just... not?

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The Audacity Is Real

Look, I've run a small business before (failed spectacularly in 2019, thanks for asking), and yeah, you take your team out for Christmas. It's called being a decent boss. But you pay for it yourself! That's literally how it works in the real world.

Gibson's excuse? "As a small business owner for many years I have been used to taking my staff for a Christmas meal to thank them for their hard work." Right, Sarah. Except when you were a business owner, you probably paid your own bills.

The expense claim actually read: "Team Christmas dinner to say thank you for everyone's hard work since July, removing alcohol and service charge." At least she had the decency to remove the booze from our tab. How generous.

IPSA Said What Now?

Here's the kicker - IPSA (that's the expenses watchdog, for those keeping track) actually approved this nonsense. Even though their own rules clearly state that "hospitality costs for a team meal out at a pub or restaurant are not claimable."

I mean... did anyone actually read the rules? Or did they just rubber-stamp it because it was December and everyone wanted to go home early?

She's Not Even the Worst One

Plot twist: Gibson isn't even the most ridiculous MP expense story this month. That honor goes to Labour's Taiwo Owatemi, who somehow managed to claim expenses for "pet rent" for her cockapoo. Yes, you read that correctly. Pet. Rent.

At this point I'm genuinely curious what else they're claiming. Therapy bills for dealing with mean tweets? Premium Netflix subscriptions for "research purposes"?

The Taxpayers' Alliance Isn't Having It

Elliot Keck from the Taxpayers' Alliance summed it up perfectly: "Taxpayers are sick of these penny-pinching politicians tapping them up for a cost they should be bearing themselves."

He's not wrong. This is the same MP who gets a second home with all bills and council tax covered by us, but can't manage to cover a £154 dinner for her own staff. The math doesn't exactly add up, does it?

Too Little, Too Late

Gibson did eventually backtrack, saying "I do accept in retrospect that as an MP the situation is different." Which is politician-speak for "I got caught and now I'm sorry."

But here's the thing - she only figured out it was wrong after the Taxpayers' Alliance called her out publicly. Before that? Perfectly fine with sticking us with the bill.

Maybe next time she can try this radical concept: paying for her own Christmas party like literally every other boss in the country.

Just a thought.

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Did you miss our previous article...
https://hellofaread.com/politics/this-french-cop-union-boss-called-migrants-scum-then-refuses-to-stop-them-from-leaving