Rachel Reeves spent thousands on media training while hiking taxes and removing Winter Fuel Payment

A further 13 departments did not make any spending. The figures were uncovered by a series of questions in Parliament submitted by Conservative MP John Cooper.

The spending on media training came as the Government took decisions to remove the Winter Fuel Allowance from millions of pensioners and hiked taxes in the Budget last October.

Cooper asked the departments how much their Department spent on media and voice training for Ministers since July 5, 2024, the day after the election.

In answer to the questions, Treasury Minister James Murray said his department had spent “£9,700 on media training for members of the Ministerial team”, which comprises seven ministers.

He added: “No costs on voice training for Ministers have been incurred since July 5, 2024.”

Scotland secretary Ian Murray said his department had “spent £5,416.25 (excluding VAT) on media training” for its two ministers since the election.

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office said it had spent £1,848 “on media or voice training for junior Ministers”.

The Department of Health and Social Care said it had spent “a total of £840 including VAT on media training for ministers” since the election.

Cooper told GB News: “What sticks in the craw is not the amount that’s been spent here.

“Arguably, it’s relatively small, but at a time when money is tight and households are having to trim back on their budgets, it seems quite remarkable that the Treasury of all people should be spending money like this.”

He added: “Everyone is asked to pull the horns in and money is so very, very tight – this does seem strange.

“There’s a little bit of hypocrisy here. The now Chief Secretary of the Treasury, Darren Jones, when he was in Opposition, was very, very critical of us. That’s fine… But you can’t have it both ways.”