The MP for Nuneaton, Marcus Jones, has raised in Parliament the recent Christmas card row engulfing Labour Councillors on Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council.

The taxpayer subsidised Christmas cards came to light when Conservative Councillors were accidentally sent an email confirming the details to Labour Councillors that they could buy 2,000 cards for only £8.09. The unintended disclosure prompted Conservative Borough Councillors to raise their concerns about the manner in which public money was being used at the Town Hall.

Now the town’s MP has waded into the row by raising a question in Parliament to the Leader of the House, Andrew Lansley MP. Marcus asked whether the Leader shared his disgust at Labour Councillors on Borough Council for procuring political Christmas cards.

Mr Lansley believed that Marcus was ‘absolutely right’.

Commenting on the controversy, Marcus said: “For Labour Councillors to be using taxpayers’ money to get cheaper Christmas cards is absolutely outrageous at the best of times, let alone in the current economic climate when everyone is having to spend money wisely. At a time when the Leader of the Council talks about cuts to budgets, he is seemingly quite happy to allow his Councillors to spend money in this way.

“I find it absolutely unbelievable that elected representatives would think it a good use of public money to buy Christmas cards.

“For Labour Councillors to attempt to politicise Christmas cards at taxpayers’ expense is extremely distasteful. Whilst we are not talking huge amounts of money in this instance, there is a serious principle at stake which is what the Labour Councillors fail to grasp. It simply isn’t acceptable to use public money in this manner.”