Speaker’s Sky-High Travel Bill Sparks Backlash – But He Says It’s ‘Speaking Truth to Power’

Sir Lindsay Hoyle is catching some serious heat over his globe-trotting ways, having clocked up 19 international trips in just two years. But the Speaker of the House of Commons is standing his ground, defending the expensive travel as a necessary part of his role – and not just a luxury jaunt on the taxpayer’s tab.

The 67-year-old has been under scrutiny after it emerged that he spent more than £180,000 on first and business-class flights, along with thousands more on fancy hotels and chauffeur-driven cars since late 2022. Destinations on his travel list include the Cayman Islands, Japan, Qatar, India, and Italy – not your average political commute.

When asked about the hefty costs and criticism surrounding them, Hoyle told The Sunday Times he has no regrets. In fact, he insisted these trips are a vital part of representing the UK on the global stage.

“There’s two ways we could do it. Leave an empty chair without the UK attending,” he said. “What does that say about the UK’s standing in the world to leave an empty chair – especially with global events at the moment.”

To him, these trips are more than networking – they’re about influence. He sees them as a way of standing up to global powers like China and Russia. “It is about speaking truth to power,” he added. “When I go to these conferences, it’s about leading the rest of the room to tell Russia it had no right to invade the sovereign territory of Ukraine and no right to continue that war”, reported the Daily Mail.

It’s clear Hoyle views these conferences as diplomatic battlegrounds where the Speaker can play a crucial role, much like a Prime Minister would at high-level summits like the G7 or G20. He’s not just mingling with fellow politicians – he believes he’s making a difference.

And compared to other countries’ parliamentary bosses, Hoyle suggests he’s actually running a pretty lean operation. He pointed out that many of his counterparts turn up with entourages and even private jets, while he sticks to commercial flights – albeit the posh end of the plane.

Still, the figures are eye-watering and, understandably, some are questioning whether this is all money well spent. With the cost-of-living crisis biting back home, the public appetite for plush political travel might be wearing thin. Whether it’s diplomacy or decadence depends on who you ask, but one thing’s for sure – Sir Lindsay isn’t backing down anytime soon.