South Ribble MP Katherine Fletcher 'received almost £6,000 severance payout for 37 days as a Liz Truss minister'

Katherine Fletcher, who has represented South Ribble since 2019, served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Transport and Minister for Women between September and October 2022.

Her payment of £5,593 for 37 days service in the Department for Transport under Liz Truss’ premiership appears in a table of severance payments made to outgoing ministers during the 2022/23 financial year which has been circulated by Labour Party.

Across the government as a whole, a total of 98 severance payments were claimed by outgoing front-benchers in that last full financial year, including seven individuals who currently attend Cabinet, with an average payout of £9,521.28 across the board.

Twenty-eight ministers accepted three months of wages in severance, despite serving for less than three months on the front bench.

They included Ms Fletcher, among seven ministers who received £5,593 each after, in the Labour release’s words, their stars rose and fell with Liz Truss, having never achieved ministerial office before.

Paul Foster, Labour’s parliamentary candidate for South Ribble said: “I am utterly astonished that Katherine Fletcher, serving for 37 days in the most junior of ministerial positions within the most chaotic Liz Truss government, has the gall to take a near-£6,000 tax payer-funded pay off, after crashing our economy, spiking interest rates and placing thousands in financial strife.

“This is the same individual who voted to end free school meals for South Ribble children during the pandemic. It is shameful. The money must be returned.”

Katherine Fletcher told the Lancashire Post: “I held two ministerial roles - the minister for women at the Cabinet Office and the minister for roads and the regions in Department for Transport. The latter role enabled me to drive forward work on our Northern Powerhouse and that is one of my priorities for South Ribble.“I received a salary and severance for working in both of these roles.

“Ministerial and severance pay are governed by Acts of Parliament going back many decades and apply to all ministers.”