An ex-Special Forces colonel tipped as a future prime minister has claimed almost £36,000 in taxpayer money for communications and PR services since he was elected in 2024 — more than all other ministers combined.
Al Carns, the Armed Forces minister who has been talked up as a possible candidate in any future Labour leadership race, has filmed a string of promotional videos showing off his constituency work, including one of himself in a pull-ups competition with a local firefighter.
The MP for Birmingham Selly Oak claimed £20,900 for communications and media expenses in 2024-25 and £14,900 in 2025-26, according to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa).
According to The i Paper‘s analysis, his spending on communications is the second highest of any MP in the country — and is far ahead of his ministerial colleagues at all levels of Government.
A former Royal Marine colonel who served multiple tours in Afghanistan, Carns is understood to have commanded the Special Boat Service — the Special Forces unit of the Royal Navy — though he has neither confirmed nor denied this.
