Them & Us


Gravy for MPs…

MPs have awarded themselves even cheaper posh meals.

A three-course meal at the Commons’ subsidised restaurant used to set members back £15. The average cost of serving each MP was £78.07.

Last year, the parliamentary expenses watchdog stopped MPs’ dinner allowance for when debates run late – also £15. Clearly it considered the subsidy excessive.

In response, MPs on the Commons Administration Committee have lowered the price for three courses to £11.50.

Smoked halibut with slow-poached duck egg. Gressingham duck with sweet potato fondant and crisoy kale. Salt-baked celeriac with pea velouté. All for less than the price of a medium ham and pineapple from Domino’s – if you’re an MP, of course.

…peanuts for us

No such luck for workers.

According to the Office for National Statistics, basic foodstuffs may have actually risen in price last year.

A new method of measuring food price changes found the cost of 500g of dry spaghetti had leapt up by nearly a fifth. And forget grating any cheddar on top – one kilo added 15% in price.

The agency measured the average cost increase for goods monitored in the trial system as 8%. That’s some way above official inflation figures, hovering around zero.

If MPs can vote on what their food costs, why shouldn’t the rest of us?