Al Carns Mp claimed almost £36,000 for PR and media expenses
Al Carns mp claimed almost £36,000 in taxpayer money for communications and PR services since he was elected in 2024, drawing scrutiny to spending tied to his public profile as Armed Forces minister and MP for Birmingham Selly Oak. The claims include £20,900 in 2024-25 and £14,900 in 2025-26.
The scale stands out because the figure is said to be more than all other ministers combined. Carns has also filmed a string of promotional videos showing off his constituency work, including one clip in a pull-ups competition with a local firefighter.
Al Carns and the expense claims
Carns, who was elected in 2024, sits in government as Armed Forces minister while representing Birmingham Selly Oak in Parliament. The spending covers communications and media expenses, with the two yearly totals adding up to almost £36,000.
Those figures place him at the center of a question about how public officeholders present their work while using taxpayer funds. The claims are unusual enough to be compared with the combined spending of all other ministers, according to the reporting.
Promotional videos in Birmingham Selly Oak
Carns has used promotional videos to showcase his constituency work, turning local appearances into material for a wider audience. One video showed him competing in pull-ups with a local firefighter, a detail that links the spending to visible self-presentation rather than behind-the-scenes office costs.
That combination of ministerial office, constituency branding and public money explains why the claims have drawn attention beyond Birmingham Selly Oak. Allies have tipped Carns as a future prime minister or Cabinet minister, which adds a political layer to the scrutiny of his expenses.
What the figures show next
The record now separates two points that readers can judge for themselves: the amount claimed and the way Carns has chosen to present his work. The next pressure point is political rather than procedural, because the spending has already been set out in yearly totals and compared with other ministers' claims.
For anyone watching Carns' rise, the numbers offer a public benchmark for how he has used communications and PR support since entering Parliament in 2024. They also place his profile-building efforts in the same frame as the taxpayer money used to pay for them.
