Priti Patel has been at the centre of controversy following the release of a report into Home Office spending yesterday which featured a £77,269.40 bill to SP Beautiful Brows.
Along with the bill to the beauty brand, over £5000 was spent on Primark merchandise and £849 at retailer Sports Direct.
The 2020 report also listed other expenditures such as £900 at a pub, £2000 to a diet consultant and £864 at a hairdressing salon.
Published by The Byline Times, the report outlined the Home Office’s expenses and the publication approached the Home Office for comment.
They said in a statement, “Departmental spending must be conducted in accordance with agreed policies, justified, and properly scrutinised.”
Social media users and critics took issue with the report and were left outraged by the large bills.
Priti Patel became the face of several memes which focused on her eyebrows and the extensive bill.
The Home Office refuted the claim that the £77K bill was spent on eyebrow threading and instead claim that it was used on PPE.
Addressing the controversy on Twitter, the Home Office said:
“FACT CHECK: It is wrong to claim the Home Office expenses that have been circulated today are the Home Secretary’s.
“They are department-wide and for vital equipment like PPE. It is completely false to say the Home Office has spent money on beauty products, it was PPE. We make no apology for buying PPE to keep our staff safe during the pandemic.
“The spending in Primark was for asylum seekers who would have not had appropriate clothing when arriving in the UK.
“We are committed to delivering the best value for money for the British taxpayer, making sure every pound is spent in the most effective way.”
In other government news, non-essential shops will be able to stay open until 10pm once they are allowed to reopen.