A freedom of information request seen by Express.co.uk also revealed public money paid for a Christmas tree in Mr Bercow’s grace-and-favour residence in the Commons. Additionally, £1,000 went towards repairing doors in the home where Mr Bercow and his family have lived for the last ten years. The FOI request – submitted by MailOnline – requested details about the cost of maintenance at the Speaker’s residence over the course of the last 16 months.

Mr Bercow – who earns in excess of £150,000 year – is thought not to spend anything on rent at Speaker’s House, where he, wife Sally and their three children have lived since 2009.

A nanny has also lived in the self-contained flat in the property.

However, it remains unclear whether she still does so.

The FOI response reveals a firm was paid £490.78 in February to replace what is referred to as a ‘redundant’ washing machine.

The invoice dated February 19, 2019, said: “Remove redundant washing machine from Speakers nannies flat and scrap (sic).

“Supply and fit new Hotpoint washing machine and leave working order.”

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Two separate invoices totally £1,004.40 were also included, for repairs to the side entrance door to the residence, and to the entrance door to the Speaker’s kitchen area.

The response adds: “In addition, we hold a record of Christmas trees being supplied to Westminster Hall and the Speaker’s residence.

“These cost £370, but we cannot disaggregate the costs for the separate areas.

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“Please also note that this may not include works carried out as part of a larger schedule, such as improvements to fire safety systems, because these costs are not disaggregated into different areas.”

Mr Bercow has been a prominent figure in the Brexit saga, incurring the wrath of Brexiteers on a number of occasions.

For example, in January he broke with convention by allowing a vote on an amendment tabled by former Attorney General Dominic Grieve to a government business motion.

Mr Grieve’s amendment required then Prime Minister Theresa May to herself table a motion within three days on proposed alternative plans if her Brexit deal was rejected by Parliament.

The FOI response prompted caustic observations by John O’Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance.

He said: “With the Speaker claiming for his nanny’s new washing machine, taxpayers will think they’ve been hung out to dry.

“Given the number of public functions hosted in the residence, a few reasonable repairs are fair enough.

“But after being elected to restore trust after the expenses scandal, the speaker shouldn’t be shelling out taxpayers’ cash for the latest mod cons without a word of explanation.

“If he wants to finish what he started and avoid leaving a legacy of largesse, the Speaker would do well to listen to the public’s concerns and be much more careful with taxpayers’ hard-earned money.”

A House of Commons speaking in the absence of Mr Bercow’s official spokeswoman, declined to comment on the story.

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