Norfolk MPs could get thousands in severance pay - after less than two months in government
Brandon Lewis, Chloe Smith and George Freeman could all be entitled to cash for short lived roles in government
Last updated 31st Oct 2022
Norfolk MPs could cost taxpayers thousands in severance payments for jobs some had for less than two months.
A year of political turmoil has seen a high turnover of government cabinet ministers, secretaries of state and even prime ministers.
Four Norfolk MPs have been part of the government this year, entitling them to severance payments averaging more than £10,000.
Norfolk MPs who can claim a severance payment include Liz Truss (South West Norfolk), Brandon Lewis (Great Yarmouth), Chloe Smith (Norwich North) and George Freeman (Mid Norfolk).
They are part of a group of 71 MPs likely to be entitled to payment. It does not matter how long they were in the post but they cannot return to government within three weeks of leaving, if they wish to keep the cash.
The total cost to taxpayers is expected to be around £709,000 with Norfolk MPs making up about £75,000 of that.
Brandon Lewis
Mr Lewis is entitled to the biggest payout having had two ministerial jobs this year more than three weeks apart.
He resigned as Northern Ireland Secretary in July in protest of Boris Johnson’s premiership. He was then appointed justice secretary in September before being booted out in Rishi Sunak’s reshuffle.
This entitles Mr Lewis to two payments totalling £33,752, which is more than the average yearly salary of one of his constituents.
The median gross weekly pay for a full-time employee in Great Yarmouth was £518 in 2019, around £26,936 per year.
Liz Truss
Despite her short tenure as prime minister South West Norfolk MP Liz truss is entitled to the second-largest payment at £18,860.
That represents £385 per day for her 49 days in office.
The median gross pay in south west Norfolk was around £28,132 in 2019.
Ms Truss is also entitled to claim £115,000 a year for the rest of her life, despite resigning after just 44 days as PM.
George Freeman
Mr Freeman is entitled to claim £5,593.75 for his role as an under-secretary of state for science, research and innovation. He held the role from September 2021 to July 2022.
Mr Freeman is the only Norfolk MP back in the government after the reshuffle.
Grant Shapps, another MP to have lost his job and subsequently returned to government, is understood to be donating half his sum to charity.
Chloe Smith
Like Ms Truss, Chloe Smith has held two government roles this year but is only entitled to one payment.
In her final role as secretary of state for work and pensions, Ms Smith will be entitled to take £16,876.25.
The MPs were contacted for comment.