£20m spent on Commons since IndyRef, SNP says

The House of Commons has spent more than £20 million on refurbishment and improvement works since IndyRef, the SNP has claimed.

Figures obtained by the party under a freedom of information request showed a total of £20,107,400 has been spent on the estate since the 2014 referendum, which it says “highlights the true cost of Westminster”.

The SNP said the 2024/25 figures were the highest on record at £2.5 million, which it equated to 74 nurse salaries in Scotland.

SNP MP Brendan O’Hara said: “This damning data reveals the true cost of Westminster – a system where, in the midst of a UK Government-induced cost-of-living crisis, taxpayers must foot the bill for millions of pounds of refurbishments each year.

“This Christmas, while families across Scotland will be choosing between heating and eating, the House of Commons will be choosing between which expensive renovations should take place first in the new year as a present from the people of this country.

“It’s clear that the system is broken – and while the House of Commons spends millions refurbishing its estate, the SNP is spending millions to take action where it matters most – bringing down waiting lists, growing the economy and tackling child poverty.

“If Westminster has splashed £20 million on refurbishment costs alone since the independence referendum, just think of the money drained by the broken system overall since 2014 – it’s clear that Scotland can, and will, do better with the right to decide our own future, delivering a fresh start with independence.”

The House of Commons was approached for comment.