Expenses watch dog spends £1000s on luxury chairs

(Telegraph): The new watchdog in charge of policing MPs’ expenses spent £300,000 of taxpayers’ money furnishing its offices including hundreds of pounds on luxury chairs. Following its establishment last May, the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority splashed out on seven chairs at a cost of £538 each, along with 14 £465 “relaxer” loungers and 25 cabinets costing £2,295 each. The expenses body carried out a full refurbishment of the central London offices which became its headquarters, at a total cost to the taxpayer of £293,000.

Ipsa has been criticised by some MPs who say that it does not represent value for money, while others feel that the strict new rules introduced following the expenses scandal are administered too rigorously.

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