‘Efficiency Minister’ Jacob Rees-Mogg spent more than £1,300 travelling from London to Wales, the Sunday Mirror can reveal.
The top Tory visited Wrexham AFC during a trip to discuss “opportunities to bring UK Civil Service jobs to the town” - a move that angered many fans of the club.
Details of the trip on 21 July reveal he spent £1,332 of taxpayers’ cash travelling to, from and around Wrexham by chauffeur-driven limousine - instead of getting there by train, which would have cost £98.
Mr Rees-Mogg was accompanied by Welsh Secretary Robert Buckland, who travelled by train and car at a cost of £692.35 - half of what the ‘Efficiency Minister’ spent on his journey.
The visit, which also took in visits to local businesses, drew howls of protest from local activists.
Kate Wilkinson, a local Plaid Cymru councillor, said Mr Rees-Mogg had avoided meeting members of the public - and claimed he had made at least part of the journey on “a private train.”
She told The National at the time: "He didn't come anywhere near us, he did his best to avoid us.”
According to Freedom of Information disclosures, seen by the Sunday Mirror, Mr Rees-Mogg: “The total cost of the Minister for Brexit Opportunities and Government Efficiency’s travel was £1,332.00.
“The mode of transport used by the Minister was a car. The cost includes all car travel associated with the Minister for the visit.”
The disclosure added: “The total cost of the Secretary of State for Wales’ travel was £692.35.
“The Secretary of State travelled by car and train. This cost includes all train and car travel associated with the Minister for the visit.”
A spokesman for Mr Rees-Mogg said: “The Welsh Secretary was doing a morning visit only, Jacob had a whole day and evening of events and wasn't returning to London if I remember rightly.”
He added: “There had been a lot of disruption on trains around then and he was going to multiple locations and finishing outside London, I think back in Somerset.”
