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Wasn't one of the issues with Boris he hid a Christmas party during lockdown?

Yeah because they get as many free meals and parties as they want for their vote and don't give a fuck about their staff having a good time.

How much can this really cost? Office moral is actually a thing.

This is just an easy way to keeping up the appearance of austerity.

I wouldn't put it past the strategists to have staged the whole thing by a faceless, back-of-the-house group so the MPs could look good blustering about it.

I think the key to that row was the during lockdown part. More of a "Rules for thee, but not for me" situation than a, "you spent what on what!?" situation.

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I worked in the public sector for several years. Christmas celebrations etc always had to be self-funded. We didn't even get milk, tea or coffee provided, we had to bring our own.

Quite right too, tax payers shouldn't foot the bill for it, it's not like MPs can't afford to pay for their own Christmas meal.

Only because it would be political suicide given the current climate.