BBC Trust spent thousands on Christmas party

August 5, 2009

It has been revealed that the BBC’s governing body, the BBC Trust, threw a £10,000 Christmas party last year.

The party spend has proven controversial as it occurred as the BBC was making redundancies. As a result, the party was seen as extravagant by onlookers.

The information about the party spend came along with figures showing that Sir Michael Lyons, the Trust’s chairman claimed £33,683 in expenses over a six-month period.

The Christmas party was thrown for staff and the guest list included some of the highest paid BBC celebrities like Jonathan Ross, Terry Wogan and BBC Director General, Mark Thompson.

The costs of the party were not immediately clear as they were hidden among other general expenses information. This added to the controversy, along with the fact that Lyons' expense returns failed to include the £15,000 he spent on his chauffeur. This was despite his chauffeur expenses having been included in his expenses figures last year.

Christmas parties are essential to boost staff morale and thank them for their hard work over the year. However, many claim it is distasteful for the BBC Trust to throw such an elaborate office party at the beginning of a year when over a thousand staff are losing their jobs. Less expensive Christmas parties can be just as much fun!