Taxpayers paid Hancock's parking fine before £320,000 I'm A Celebrity windfall

17 June 2023 , 21:10

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Matt Hancock received a parking fine last year (Image: PA)

Taxpayers picked up the tab for a parking fine on former Health Secretary Matt Hancock’s expenses – despite being against rules.

The £78 was paid last year before he entered I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! where he pocketed a whopping £320,000.

But he repaid the amount of the fine – stated on a removals firm invoice – after a watchdog found it had been included on his expenses.

Invoices from the removals firm to Hancock were released under Freedom of Information legislation by Parliament’s expenses watchdog, the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority.

Mr Hancock, 44, entered I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! - and reached the final (ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

Rules state: “IPSA will not pay any claims for penalty charges or additional charges.”

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Mr Hancock’s spokesman said: “IPSA paid a removal company directly. The removal company had included a parking fine it incurred.”

The controversial politician reached the final of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! despite outrage people had actually backed him to win the show.

Simon Murphy