John Bercow under fire over 6% rise in office budget at time when Commons is trying to cut costs by 17% over four years
The Commons Speaker is facing a new backbench rebellion over plans, seen by the Guardian, to increase the budget for his office by 6% this year at the same time as the House is beginning a four-year economy drive to reduce its costs by 17%.
The Speaker's office insisted it was facing the same cuts as the rest of the House, but MPs accused John Bercow of being increasingly detached from the financial reality facing backbenchers.
The new business plan for the Commons shows an increase in the Speaker's office budget from £661,000 to £700,000 this financial year. At the same time, parliamentary services to support MPs' offices and the running of select committees are being squeezed by 17% over the next four years.
The row has become the new focus for backbench disgruntlement with Bercow, who has had public verbal altercations with some MPs in the House. The prime minister has also openly mocked the Speaker, comparing him to one of the dwarves in Snow White. Once a rightwinger, some Tory MPs believe that Bercow, whose role as Speaker is supposed to be impartial, is biased towards the Labour MPs who helped to elect him.
One senior Tory backbencher said: "It is such hypocrisy for Mr Speaker to be cutting every other budget in the Commons apart from his own. Again, this shows that John is increasingly becoming detached from the financial pressure on backbenchers the longer he is in office."
John Spellar, the Labour MP for Warley and member of the House of Commons administration committee, said: "The critical purpose of the Commons is to help MPs to make legislation, to have an overview of government and represent their constituents. That must be the first priority. But it's the central administration that doesn't seem to be suffering."
Douglas Carswell, the Conservative MP for Clacton, said, however, that he was a fan of the Speaker and that the House's opinion was turning. "It is worth paying this for having a Speaker who lifts us off our knees," he said.
The Speaker's office said the £700,000 figure was an "indicative figure for planning purposes only" and that real costs were expected to come in lower than the previous year. "The Speaker's office budget has been subject to the same process of adding in upward cost pressures as all other parts of the House service," a spokeswoman said.
The new corporate business plan for the Commons, was agreed last week by the commission which oversees the running of the House and is chaired by Bercow.
Cost-saving measures include cutting budgets to the select committees, reducing the number of Royal Mail collections and raising prices in the Commons tea rooms, canteens and restaurants.
Further cost-cutting plans and reforms aimed at raising more revenue are due to be confirmed by other committees after Easter. Measures under consideration include renting out Westminster Hall for weddings and corporate functions, opening up its private dining rooms to the public and developing new lines of tourist tat.
Some MPs have warned that such moves could cheapen the institution of parliament.
Golden goodbyes
Every eligible MP who left parliament at the last election received a "golden goodbye" worth up to £65,000, the Commons has been forced to reveal under the Freedom of Information Act.
All 220 departing MPs received the resettlement grants to pay to wind up their offices and adjust to non-parliamentary life. Only the MPs subject to criminal charges for fiddling their expenses – David Chaytor, Jim Devine and Elliot Morley – were denied them. If Morley is cleared when he goes to trial he could still be eligible, a Commons spokesperson said.
They include 21 MPs who went straight to the Lords including Labour's Lord Prescott and Lord Reid; the Conservative's Lord Spicer and Lord Howard; and the Liberal Democrat's Lord Willis. The Commons only published the information after a FOI request and refused to say how much each received. The sum is dependent on their age and how long they have spent in parliament.