Chief Money Saver is a money waster

Chief Money Saver is a money waster

The head of the spending watchdog, Sir John Bourn, and his wife have been dining in London’s finest restaurants and travelling abroad first-class, costing the taxpayer almost half a million pounds.

No wonder there are calls for his resignation.

Even if it is accepted that someone in his position should be allowed to travel first class, there has been no explanation offered why his wife was also allowed to have her costs met by the taxpayers.

Public Accounts Commission Report here. Quote from the report "Cabinet Office rules state that spouse-accompanied travel at public expense is to be exceptional, and in practice it is understood to be rare". I would hardly call 24 trips in 3 years by Sir John Bourn's wife either exceptional circumstances or rare. Rather oddly, authority whether to take a spouse along on these trips rested with Sir John Bourn himself. In 5 years Sir John Bourn has treated his wife to almost £102,000 worth of holidays at the taxpayers expense. Add to that almost £90,000 in tax and insurance liability for his wife's travel.

Contrary to the MSM reports which claimed that the Public Accounts Commission conducted an inquiry into the conduct of Sir John Bourn, I can find no evidence that any such inquiry took place. There was a meeting and the minutes of that meeting are here. Therefore, it would appear that the conclusion claiming that there was no impropriety was a bit premature. "The Commission discussed the matter. It concluded that there was no evidence of impropriety in the use of public money, and that the expenditure had been in accordance with the existing rules on such expenditure". The expenditure, at least in so far as it related to Sir John Bourn's wife, was not in accordance with the existing rules.

How much is spent on whitewash?

And even more taxpayers money wasted here.