Minister claimed thousands of pounds on expenses for promotional videos | MPs’ expenses

Labor minister Al Carns claimed thousands of pounds from parliamentary expenses for promotional videos, including one showing him doing pull-ups at a fire station in competition with a firefighter.

The former Royal Marines and former Royal Marines, who has been tipped as a leadership candidate by some MPs, claimed nearly £3,000, approved by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa), for the production of 17 videos showing him interacting with local businesses.

In the film series, Carns is filmed having a beer while visiting a local brewery, chatting to fire officers and taking part in a “MP vs fireman tug of war”, while saying: “It’s really important that we as a government help companies like this to thrive.”

Another video shows him at a museum about life in history, where he mentions that he spent “weeks, if not months, in the maritime field where it was difficult to be outside for that amount of time.” He is also shown using armor, saying: “I’ve worn body armor my whole life – 24 years.”

In total, he claimed around £14,000 for the services of a PR consultant, who touted his work with Carns on LinkedIn, and a videographer on “a series of short films highlighting just some of the incredible work being done in Al’s Birmingham Selly Oak constituency”.

Carns said much of the public relations consultant’s work and costs are related to “day-to-day constituency office support, including administrative work, relationships with local organizations and outreach on behalf of voters.”

He said staff expenditure, totaling £111,000, was “significantly below typical levels for MPs” and that the contractor was also hired by his predecessor.

Carns’ clips appear to be part of a trend by lawmakers to use video more to communicate with the public, though it’s unclear how many of them are claiming expenses for it.

Ipsa rules state that MPs can only access funding for costs that they or their staff incur through their parliamentary duties, and that MPs should not use funding for costs related to activities that are expressly or primarily aimed at supporting their own political profile.

Carns said the expenditure “was made in full compliance with IPSA rules and was properly declared and approved”.

His office added: “The video content forms part of Al’s work to engage with voters and highlight the work of local organizations and public services in his constituency. “It focuses on engagement and transparency, not self-promotion.

“The video you refer to was filmed during a routine visit to a local fire station. We use the videos to support people and organizations who work hard on behalf of the constituency: the NHS, food banks, community and volunteer groups and the fire and rescue service.

“The fire and rescue service plays a vital role in keeping communities safe and underlines that this work is a vital part of constituency engagement and community cohesion.”

The expenses were approved by Ipsa, which this month published a new rulebook giving MPs more flexibility and discretion over what they can claim in business costs.

It condenses nearly 45 pages of rules into a new 10-page scheme based on “principles” and removes most of the detail in a separate guide that comes into force on April 1. The new scheme will allow MPs outside London to claim hotels or rental accommodation near parliament for the first time, rather than higher living allowances, if they wish.

Last month, Treasury secretary James Murray highlighted the rising costs of the MP spending system after the watchdog called for a further £13 million to meet MPs’ demands. The cost of the system has now risen from £242 million the previous year to £281 million a year, outpacing inflation.

Murray said in a letter: “If Ipsa were a normal government department, HMT would reject existing reserve requests. The pressure is due to increasing demands against existing policies and budgetary powers, rather than a new or inevitable policy decision or cost shock.”

Commenting on the changes, an Ipsa spokesperson said: “We want to make sure MPs have the right amount of flexibility to decide how they conduct parliamentary business.

“Our plan for MPs’ staffing and operating costs will continue to outline the ground rules that must be followed, and we are always taking strong action to address regulatory risks and provide transparency to the public.

“This evolution of our approach brings us in line with other areas of public life and other regulators – for example Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards – who operate a similar model.”