Tories pay one other £22,000 to ex-ministers ‘by mistake’ after Peter Bone gaffe

Inept Tories have handed greater than £22,000 in taxpayer money to 2 ex-ministers by mistake.

Baroness Stedman-Scott and Sir David Evennett obtained beneficiant severance packages after they left their Government roles. But neither had been entitled to the cash as they had been over the age of 65.

The blunders have emerged after we revealed yesterday that flasher ex-MP Peter Bone had wrongly been paid nearly £5,600.

Baroness Stedman-Scott acquired £17,442 when she stood down as a Department of Work and Pensions minister in 2022. The Ministerial and different Pensions and Salaries Act 1991 states that departing ministers are solely entitled to the money if they’re below the age of 65. Baroness Stedman-Scott was 67 on the time.

Sir David acquired £4,479 when he left his submit as a Government whip in October 2022 although he was 73.

Labour’s Emily Thornberry, who uncovered the severance pay blunder, stated: “To make one of these payments by mistake might be regarded as unfortunate; but to make three is rank incompetence. This is £27,514 of taxpayers’ money and for it to be handed out to Tory ministers who weren’t even eligible is an insult to every family in our country struggling with the cost of living crisis.”

The Mirror reported yesterday that Mr Bone obtained a severance fee of £5,593 when he mysteriously was faraway from his submit as Deputy Commons Leader on the finish of September 2022. He was 69 on the time.

Mr Bone was booted out of the Commons in December by his constituents in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, after he was given a six-week ban from Parliament for bullying and sexual misconduct in opposition to a member of employees. A Commons sleaze watchdog discovered he repeatedly requested his researcher to present him massages, thrown pens at him and uncovered himself after they had been away on a piece journey.

In one surprising incident, Mr Bone is alleged to have struck the aide on the again of his head and advised him: “You’re having a thick day and I thought that would help”. Parliament’s Independent Expert (IEP) Panel dominated that Mr Bone had engaged in “a wilful pattern of bullying”, which “also included an unwanted incident of sexual misconduct, when the complainant was trapped in a room with the respondent in a hotel in Madrid”.