EXCL Anti-Brexit campaigners lash out as thousands spent on King of Spain visit revealed

Emilio Casalicchio

Remain campaigners have attacked the Government after it emerged tens of thousands of pounds were spent on a state visit by the King of Spain - during which he sparked a row with Gibraltar.



Official figures show the Foreign Office spent £176,000 on the trip by Felipe VI and Queen Letizia in July last year, including almost £66,000 on entertainment and £8,000 printing the itinerary, PoliticsHome can reveal.

Meanwhile, £37,000 went on accommodation, £46,000 on transport and £18,000 on interpreters so the King and Queen could chat to UK dignitaries.

But the visit did not go as smoothly as planned when the Spanish monarch sparked a row with Gibraltar by failing to acknowledge its right to determine its own future in an address to Parliament.

He said he wanted a “dialogue” between Madrid and London on the status of the Rock - prompting Gibraltar chief minister Fabian Picardo to accuse him of “seeking to ignore” the will of its residents.

Eloise Todd, CEO of the pro-EU group Best for Britain, said the eye-watering sums spent on the state visit were “Exhibit A in terms of how Brexit is turning our friends and allies against us”.

"We spent £170,000 on rolling out the red carpet, only to end up in a spat over Gibraltar,” she told PoliticsHome.

"Brexit is dangerously pulling at the strings that bind the UK and some of our closest international allies together.”

Meanwhile, John O'Connell, chief executive at the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: “Pageantry is always going to be a feature of soft power diplomacy, but those organising these trips should be mindful of the high costs.

“Taxpayers expect value for money, and this is just as true with diplomatic events as other areas of spending.

“It seems hard to believe that some of the costs, for instance, printing programmes can justifiably run into the thousands, so every care ought to be taken to prevent waste on these visits.”

A Foreign Office source said staying closely allied with Spain was “important for UK interests as we leave the EU” - with some £43bn of trade between the countries in the balance and 300,000 Brits living on Spanish shores.

The source added: "The state visit was an opportunity to celebrate our existing bilateral relationship and to protect these interests for the future ensuring the prosperity and opportunities available to UK citizens. It was the first inwards State Visit from Spain in 30 years.”

Elsewhere, the Government revealed the thousands of pounds that were spent on recent ‘guest of government’ visits - the lesser form of state visits which do not include rolling out the red carpet.

A trip made by Somali president Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed in May last year cost the taxpayer £37,000, while a visit by Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta the same month cost almost £29,000.

A visit by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe in April cost £14,000 including £2,300 on entertainment.