Last year, defense leaders used over £200 million of public funds for travels and lavish accommodations for high-ranking personnel, even as soldiers endured deplorable living conditions.
Figures
issued by the Ministry of Defence (MoD)
demonstrate how police officers and public officials frequently resided at five-star hotels with nightly rates exceeding £300.
The MoD spent almost £800 million on hotels and travel between 2018 and 2024 at locations such as the French Alps and
Las Vegas
.
In sharp contrast, the living conditions of troops in UK Armed Forces accommodation during the same period – some
infested with vermin and harmful black mould
— resulted in over 60,000 grievances.
Meanwhile freedom of information requests obtained by The Mail on Sunday and National Security News revealed a huge leap in costs from £136 million in 2018 to £218 million by 2024 covering hotel accommodation, flights and travel by train and ferry.
The data showed that many Ministry of Defence employees lodged in expensive hotels in the city center.
London
including the Park Plaza and the Marriott – which can cost up to £400 a night.
Outside the UK, a guest received a £1,426 invoice for a four-night stay at the Auberge Saint Hubert Hotel in the Val d’Isère ski resort in France. Another individual incurred a charge of £1,032 during their three-night stay at the Novotel Sydney Harbour in Australia. Additionally, one employee had a seven-night stay at the Anantara The Palm Dubai Resort, resulting in an expense of £2,439.
Additionally, another employee incurred expenses of £323 for a single night’s stay at the four-star Hampton Inn Tropicana in Las Vegas. In defense of these charges, the Ministry of Defence stated that over 200,000 civilian workers and service members are frequently stationed abroad and require hotel accommodations.
A commanding officer from an infantry battalion stationed in Bulford informed the Ministry of Defence: “My troops are residing in very substandard accommodations and face persistent issues.”
battling to get repairs
I have soldiers on medical leave residing in dwellings that are scarcely livable.
Callum McGoldrick, a researcher for the TaxPayers’ Alliance, stated: “Spending hundreds of millions on accommodations and airfares brings into question the priorities within Whitehall. It is essential for ministers to gain control over Ministry of Defence expenditures.”
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence stated: “These numbers pertain to expenditures during the prior administration. Our government is dedicated to gaining control over the defence budget.”
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