Former culture secretary acknowledges bungled severance payment and vows to repay the amount

In an unexpected turn of events, Nadine Dorries, the former Culture Secretary, has announced her decision to return a severance payment worth £16,876, which was erroneously granted to her following her resignation. Bungling officials mistakenly awarded the payout when Dorries stepped down from her Cabinet position, an entitlement usually reserved for departing ministers under the age of 65.

Government accounts revealed that Dorries received the payment in September 2022, coinciding with her departure as Boris Johnson relinquished his role as Prime Minister. According to rules governing such severance payments, ministers are entitled to a payout equivalent to three months’ wages, but this is applicable only if they are below the age of 65 at the time of departure.

When asked about the mistaken payment, Dorries assured that she became aware of the situation after checking her emails on Friday night.

This revelation comes on the heels of a series of similar incidents involving other political figures. The Mirror recently exposed that former MP Peter Bone was incorrectly paid almost £5,600 for serving just 82 days as Deputy Commons Leader under Boris Johnson and Liz Truss. Several other ministers, including Maggie Throup, Sir David Evennett, and Baroness Stedman-Scott, were also mistakenly awarded compensation based on their ages, amounting to a total bill of £33,107.

The blunders in severance payments have raised concerns, with critics calling for a review of the system. Shadow Attorney General Emily Thornberry expressed the need for moral leadership and urged those who benefited from the broken severance system to consider their consciences. However, 10 Downing Street has indicated that there are currently no plans to reform the system.

The severance payment mishaps have fueled discussions about the need for transparency and accountability in handling taxpayers’ money. Despite the revelations, the government remains firm on its stance, with Rishi Sunak’s official spokesman asserting that there are no immediate plans to change the existing approach to severance payments.

As the controversy unfolds, attention is likely to intensify on the broader issue of ministerial severance payments and the necessity for reforms to prevent similar errors in the future.