Anika Wells’ family expenses aren’t to blame. ‘Work’ travel is

Politicians who fly their families away at taxpayers’ expense are making headlines again, thanks to revelations about Labour’s Anika Wells’ inevitable turn into a public program covering all aspects of politics.

The idea behind allowing politicians to bring their wives and children with them on some trips (senior civil servants have a similar situation) makes sense: being an MP, let alone a minister, means being away from your family for long periods of time. If you listen to the farewell speeches of politicians of all stripes, you will always hear them thank their families for the great sacrifice they made.