The bears were to be given out to children who asked the best questions in a Q&A session with Mr Levy.’
A former Tory MP put £57 worth of teddy bears on expenses, before he lost his seat, it has been revealed.
The Mirror reported that Ian Levy, who served as MP for Blyth Valley from the 2019 general election until the seat’s abolition in 2024, ‘bought the teddies for prizes in a competition for schoolchildren. The bears were to be given out to children who asked the best questions in a Q&A session with Mr Levy.’
The paper reports that a member of Levy’s team got in touch with IPSA to find out if he could claim for the teddy bears. His office as told that it would be OK under the rules because he was “carrying out his parliamentary functions”, however IPSA lost a copy of the receipt.
During the general election campaign Levy conceded that the Tories hadn’t “covered themselves in glory”.
Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward
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