Councils attacked for spending £1.2m on ‘vanity junkets’

A MINISTER has condemned councils for spending £1.2m of taxpayers’ money on “vanity junkets” by funding trips to awards ceremonies including “Loo of the Year” and the “Magic of Motown”.

Councils in Yorkshire spent £77,597 over the past financial year, including a visit to the European Enterprise Awards in Madrid by a party of three from Hull Council, when £350 of the £1,800 cost of the trip was “unspecified”.

Craven Council spent only £100 but that went on a “taxi and waiting time” for attending the Yorkshire in Bloom Awards in Harrogate last week. A council official was unable to offer any further explanation of why that expense was incurred.

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Bradford Council spent £5,475 on two “staff recognition” events called “You Make a Difference”.

Some regional authorities did not go to any events, although Kirklees Council managed to attend six at no cost to the tax payer.

The biggest spending Yorkshire authority was Leeds, which clocked up almost £28,000 at 28 separate events.

Local Government Minister Grant Shapps said: “It is plain wrong that councils use tax payers’ money preening themselves at these vanity junkets. Councils need to do their bit to help pay off Labour’s budget deficit. My department has cancelled sponsorship of these black tie ceremonies that were so prevalent under Labour. Councils should do the same to save taxpayers’ money and protect frontline services.”

The UK figures were obtained by the TaxPayers’ Alliance.