UK Government Criticized for Spending £1,200 on Two Ministerial Folders

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport purchased luxury folders as the Chancellor urged Whitehall to cut budgets by 5%.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) spent £1,200 on two leather ministerial folders from Barrow Hepburn & Gale, costing £594 each.
The purchase occurred on October 29, a day before Chancellor Rachel Reeves presented her first Budget and announced a government-wide spending review.
Reeves has directed all Whitehall departments to identify 5% in annual budget savings to reduce waste and focus spending on priority areas.
Critics have noted that similar leather-bound document holders are available for significantly less, raising questions about the necessity of the expenditure.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s spokesperson emphasized that departments must scrutinize spending line-by-line to align with the government’s cost-saving goals.