Peer complained 'not enough British people' work in House of Lords kitchen

A peer complained there were “not enough British people” working in the House of Lords kitchen.

A peer complained that there were “not enough British people” working in the House of Lords kitchen

A Freedom of Information request by The Mirror revealed staff dealt with 18 complaints from Lords and their staff between March 2018 and November this year.

This included an unnamed peer in 2018 suggesting that “more British chefs could work in [the] House of Lords kitchen”.

Three of the complaints were over the “Catering Accounts Scheme” being closed, a system that allows MPs and Peers to register a credit card as a ‘running tab’ rather than paying each time.

Two unnamed peers complained about the avocado in the Bishops’ Bar, while another was unhappy with the brunch offering in the Long Room.

Restaurants for Lords in the Palace of Westminster are heavily subsided with almost £2 million of taxpayers money because many of them make a loss.

The Peers’ Dining Room makes the biggest loss of all the facilities and required £830,207 to keep it afloat last year

Alistair Carmichael, the Liberal Democrats home affairs spokesman, claimed the Lords were out of touch.

He said: "Boris Johnson stuffing the House of Lords with his dodgy mates is clearly having its effect.

“Instead of playing at Downton Abbey, these peers should be looking beyond their own dinner plate and address the real problems people across the country are facing."

While the menu is not available for the Lords venues, in 2018 a full English breakfast in the Millbank Restaurant cost £3.70, while a three-course ‘Long Room’ buffet was just £11.

Peers are paid an allowance of £305 for every day they attend Parliament, plus travel expenses.

A House of Lords spokesman said: “The House of Lords administration, including the catering and retail service, operates an open recruitment process that follows best practice in ensuring fairness for all candidates.

“This includes a ‘blind’ application process so that recruiting managers shortlist on the basis of skills, experience and qualifications. This is to help ensure we hire the best candidates for the job, irrespective of their background.

“We will continue to recruit in line with relevant employment legislation, including any changes to eligibility to work in this country after the end of the Brexit transition period from January 1.”

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