Rachel Reeves has said Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor should repay the public if investigators find the ex-Prince misused taxpayer funds for massages during his time representing the UK abroad. The Chancellor of the Exchequer addressed allegations that the former Duke of York charged taxpayers for massages and what former civil servants described as excessive travel costs while he worked as Britain’s trade envoy, with his role running from 2001 to 2011. Though it came without a salary, it did reportedly come with civil service support and public funding for overseas trips.
Ex-Prince Andrew urged to repay taxpayer funds misused for massages by Rachel Reeves
When the i Paper exclusively asked Rachel Reeves whether ex-Prince Andrew should pay back money if he has misused the taxpayer funds for massages, she replied, “Of course.” The remarks come as Mountbatten-Windsor faces wider scrutiny for getting arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office. Moreover, authorities suspected that he kept ties with Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted felon. Notably, the i Paper reported that Mountbatten-Windsor has denied wrongdoing over his links to Epstein and denied any personal gain from his trade envoy role.
Furthermore, Reeves commented on her personal distance from the former prince after a government minister reportedly described him as “rude, arrogant and entitled,” as she told the i Paper, “Well, I’ve never met [Mountbatten-Windsor].” She added, “I think that’s probably for the best.”
At the same time, the outlet reported that Labour MP Liam Byrne, chair of the Commons Business and Trade Committee, said the committee would start gathering information so it could “stand ready to launch an inquiry” into Mountbatten-Windsor’s envoy role once the police investigation ends.
Reeves has spelled out the main point, and it is that if ex-Prince Andrew used any of the taxpayer funds wrongly, it should come back. Her “Of course” puts a price on accountability; taxpayers should not foot the bill for alleged personal extras.
Originally written by Ishika Mishra on Reality Tea.
