Minister’s severance payment worth two years’ rent in North Shropshire

Ministers who are sacked and then reappointed should not be able to claim thousands of pounds in severance pay, North Shropshire’s MP has said.

Lib Dem MP Helen hit out at the fact that Dominic Raab is able to claim nearly £17,000 - the equivalent of two year’s rent in North Shropshire - despite being out of a ministerial job for just seven weeks.

The Liberal Democrats have called on sacked and newly reappointed Conservative ministers to forego the redundancy payments they are eligible for so long as they have been out of post for at least three weeks.

Conservative turmoil has led to huge numbers of former ministers being able to claim payouts, with the two reshuffles carried out since July potentially costing taxpayers hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Helen, the Lib Dem spokesman for levelling up, said people were reacting with “fury” in North Shropshire after learning Ministers are eligible for huge payouts at the same time they are struggling to cope with huge increases in the cost of living.

Speaking in the House of Commons, Helen Morgan said, “We have seen over the weekend, threats to cut the essential public services that are already thin on the ground here, threats to cut the pensions and benefits of those who are struggling to make ends meet, and threats to raise taxes for those working hard just to keep their heads above water.

“So imagine their fury at the fact that the Conservative turmoil has led to huge numbers of former ministers being able to claim payouts with two reshuffles carried out since July, potentially costing taxpayers hundreds of thousands of pounds. Ministers who were sacked just months ago but have since been reappointed are still able to claim thousands of pounds each in redundancy pay as long as they've been out of a ministerial post for only three weeks.

“The Right Honourable Member for Esher and Walton [Dominic Raab], who was sacked by Liz Truss in September but later reappointed as Justice Secretary, would be eligible to receive £16,876 despite having been out of a ministerial job for seven weeks. To put that into context, that would been enough to rent a two-bedroom flat for more than two years in Whitchurch in my constituency.”

Steve Barclay, who was reappointed as Health Secretary after being sacked in September, would also be entitled to the same full redundancy payout as Dominic Raab

The Liberal Democrats have called the arrangement a “farce” and said the “revolving door bonus” should be returned to the Treasury to help struggling families with the cost of living.