Deputy leader of the labour party, Angela Rayner, has come under fire after it was revealed she'd claimed a pair of Apple AirPods on expenses.
The Sun reports that the politician put the £249 headphones on expenses, as well as other Apple products since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
This includes a £1,619 iPad Pro with a £99 case, a keyboard costing £199 alongside a £131 digital pencil and a £70 office chair.
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Rayner is said to have spent £2,100 on equipment, all bought using taxpayer cash.
Let it be known that MPs such as Rayner are allowed to spend an extra £10,000 on home office equipment and kit for themselves ever since the Covid crisis started.
But some have criticised the deputy leader for opting for the more expensive Personalised AirPod Pros when other Bluetooth headphones are available on Amazon from as little as £8.
The media pointed out that other MPs from the Labour Party used the money for other means, such as Rosena Allin-Khan who organised a donation of computers worth £10,000.
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The 44 laptops were handed out to primary schools across her constituency of Tooting in South London.
John O'Connell, of the TaxPayers' Alliance, told The Sun: "No doubt all this spending will be 'within the rules'.
"But MPs should be asking themselves if it was necessary when millions of Brits may face unemployment."
Ms Rayner's spokesman added: "All expenses for the running of Angela's parliamentary office were submitted in line with the rules."
People appear to have mixed views on the matter, with numerous people taking to social media to offer up their opinion.
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"Angela Rayner did it and it was reported on," wrote one person on Twitter. "Seems that both parties have a rep who got their hands dirty Via 'airpod gate'."
Another person said: "A reasonably-priced pair of headphones would have been sufficient, but not for the socialist, Angela Rayner."
He added: "She wanted top-of-the-range personalised Apple AirPod Pros at £249 & had the cheek to charge taxpayers for her extravagance."
A third commented: "All I've learnt from this Angela Rayner AirPod expenses bulls**t is that I should be justifying way more shit as expenses."
Rayner was elected as Labour Party deputy leader back in April 2020 when Keir Starmer was confirmed to be the new leader, succeeding Jeremy Corbyn to the post.
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Angela Rayner's office declined to comment on the matter.
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