The government has revealed that former deputy prime minister Sir Nick Clegg claimed £444,000 of a special allowance prior to becoming "a highly paid Silicon Valley executive and lobbyist".
The information was unveiled about the former Liberal Democrat leader after a minister was challenged in Parliament about Boris Johnson and Liz Truss' eligibility to claim financial support available to ex-prime ministers.
Lord Rennard, a former Liberal Democrat chief executive, raised the issue by arguing for a "proper review" of the public duty cost allowance (PDCA) worth up to £115,000 a year. The expenses scheme was first introduced in 1991 shortly following the resignation of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, with the purpose of supporting former PMs in their public duties after leaving office.
The scheme has been highlighted following the resignation of Truss in October, after just 44 days in Downing Street, with many calling on her to reject the allowance due to her short time in office.
Speaking in the Lords, Cabinet Office minister Baroness Neville-Rolfe said: “The public duty costs allowance assists former prime ministers who remain active in public life. The allowance is not paid directly to former prime ministers. Rather, claims may be made from the allowance to reimburse incurred expenses that arise from the fulfilment of public duties, such as office and secretarial costs.”
Lord Rennard pressured Baroness Neville-Rolfe, pointing out that three ex-prime ministers remain MPs, with Theresa May claiming a portion of her allowance, and both Johnson and Truss entitled to the whole £115,000.
She indicated a level of hypocrisy in her response to the Lib Dem peer, saying: "Ex-prime ministers still have a special position in public life and they need to pay office and staff costs in support of that. The arrangements were extended to one of Lord Rennard’s colleagues, Sir Nick Clegg, who had been deputy prime minister until 2015. I think in a rather unique status at that time. He claimed £444,000 before he left to become a highly paid Silicon Valley executive and lobbyist.”
After resigning as Liberal Democrat leader in 2015 after a "crushing" defeat at the general election and stepping down as an MP in 2017, Clegg began working for social media giant Facebook and is currently the president of global affairs at its parent company Meta.
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