Angela Rayner tried to assert one other pair of Apple earphones utilizing taxpayer money, it has emerged.
The deputy Labour chief billed a complete of £139, the identical value as a pair of second-generation AirPods, to the parliamentary bills watchdog final yr.
Ms Rayner was reimbursed the total price of the electronics on Dec 12 when it was permitted by Ipsa chiefs.
Nevertheless, when contacted by The Solar newspaper on Wednesday, she determined to repay the price of the product in full.
It’s more likely to spark additional accusations of hypocrisy after Ms Rayner was beforehand compelled to defend placing lots of of kilos of Apple electronics on bills regardless of repeatedly calling out Conservative politicians for sums incurred throughout authorities enterprise.
She had denied her earlier purchases – which included £249 value of personalised AirPods – have been “luxurious” and stated that she wanted them for work functions.
Her feedback got here after she accused Rishi Sunak of getting “did not rein within the tradition of lavish spending throughout Whitehall” following a Labour research of ministerial spending on lodges, hospitality and different prices utilizing taxpayer-funded debit playing cards.
‘My gear has to sync’
Defending her earphones buy earlier this yr, Ms Rayner stated: “All of my gear has to sync with one another in order that I can perform my work and other people will perceive that,
“I would not say that it is luxurious to have pc gear that’s on a regular basis expenditure for anyone that works with computer systems day by day for his or her job.”
Labour confronted a separate row over its frontbenchers’ bills earlier this week when Rachel Reeves, the shadow chancellor, took a enterprise class flight value round £4,000 as a part of a visit to New York.
The occasion had criticised authorities ministers for dwelling a “five-star luxurious life-style” of worldwide journeys and resort stays weeks earlier.
Ms Reeves made the go to in an try to shore up relations with the Biden administration and main enterprise figures within the hope she shall be in No 11 after the subsequent election, broadly anticipated subsequent yr.
Defending the price of her airplane ticket, she stated: “To function on the extent I need to function at I feel it was acceptable to ask a donor to fund this journey so we will do it in a manner that we have to and need to.”
A spokesman for Ms Rayner advised the Solar: “These prices have been lined privately and Ipsa has been reimbursed accordingly.”
The spokesman was contacted by The Telegraph for additional remark.
