The City of London Corporation's political head is entitled to a flat estimated to be worth more than £25,000 a year in rent, it has been revealed. The one-bedroom flat at Guildhall is owned by the Corporation and does not cost the taxpayer in terms of rental charges or allowances claimed, but provides a second home for the Chair of the authority's Policy and Resources committee, who is the de-facto political leader of the Corporation. A spokesperson for the City of London described the role as 'demanding', which 'regularly involves working well beyond standard working hours with early starts and extensive evening obligations'.
Documents prepared for a Policy and Resources Committee meeting last week detailed how the average annual rent for a one-bedroom flat in the Square Mile, such as that in Guildhall, is £25,656 based on the Mayor of London's London Rents Map. The paper continued to note this is 'broadly consistent' with the accommodation allowance provided to Members of Parliament renting in London, which it stated is set at £22,920. However MPs typically have to travel significant distances from their constituencies to represent them in Parliament.
READ MORE: City of London Members vote against £50k pay increase for political head The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) set the figure for 2024/25 to be £29,290. For MPs renting or staying in hotels outside of London, the budget is £19,940. "MPs' second homes are not a luxury or a 'perk', they are n.