The electric vehicle (EV) charging points at Northern Ireland’s Parliament Buildings, Stormont, have found themselves at the heart of a political storm after it emerged that Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) and staff were able to charge their cars for free—while also claiming substantial travel allowances. On June 8, 2026, the Assembly Commission took the decisive step of suspending the use of these chargers, pending the introduction of a new payment system that aims to bring the facility in line with public expectations and commercial practice.
For years, six EV charging points in the upper car park at Stormont allowed MLAs and staff to top up their vehicles at no cost, while visitors to Parliament Buildings were required to pay a tariff of 32p per kilowatt hour, according to BBC News NI. This arrangement, originally established in 2015 when electric vehicles were still a novelty and public charging infrastructure was scarce, was intended to encourage sustainable transport choices among lawmakers and employees. However, as times have changed and electric vehicles have become more mainstream, the policy has come under increasing scrutiny.
The controversy reached a tipping point after a BBC News NI Freedom of Information request revealed that the free charging cost taxpayers an estimated £325 during a single week in May 2026. More significantly, MLAs are entitled to claim a travel allowance for commuting to Stormont, which can reach up to £6,780—or nearly £7,000—for those traveling the furthest. Critics argued that this amounted to politicians being paid twice for the same journey: once through their travel allowance and again through the free electricity for their cars.
Assembly Speaker Edwin Poots addressed the issue head-on in a morning session on June 8. He announced, “The arrangements for the retention of data will also be reviewed for the new system. Officials have been asked to take the matter forward as quickly as possible.” He further clarified, “In the meantime, it has been agreed that the use of EV chargers in the upper car park will remain suspended until the new system is in place.”
The Assembly Commission, which oversees the estate, met urgently to agree on a way forward. There was unanimous, cross-party agreement to suspend the free charging and to introduce a consistent pay-to-charge system for all EV charging points under its responsibility. “However, the Assembly Commission has acknowledged this morning that legitimate public concerns have been raised. I thank Commission members for their cooperation in the meeting today and note the unanimous cross-party agreement to deal with the matter,” said Poots, as reported by multiple outlets including BBC News NI and News NI.
Officials have now been tasked with engaging MLAs and staff who previously used the chargers to arrange reimbursement for the electricity they consumed. Poots did not mince words: “People who used them should repay and I extend that to officials as well as politicians.” This move is intended to address the perception that elected representatives were benefiting from a perk not available to the public, especially while also receiving travel expenses.
It’s worth noting that, up until the suspension, the use of the charging points was entirely within the Assembly’s rules. The policy was an operational decision made in 2015, without direct involvement from Assembly members. An unnamed Assembly spokesperson explained, “The charging points are free of charge to users.” However, as the rules, allowances, and public mood have shifted, so too has the acceptability of such arrangements. The Commission now acknowledges that “legitimate public concerns have been raised.”
Political parties have responded in various ways. The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), Alliance Party, and Ulster Unionist Party confirmed that their members who used the chargers would cooperate with Assembly authorities to calculate and repay the value of the electricity they consumed. “Electric vehicle charging at Parliament Buildings is the responsibility of the Assembly Commission, and our MLAs follow its rules. We will be proposing the commission introduce a charge for EV use. Until this is actioned, any Alliance representative who has used or will use charging points will cover the cost to date to ensure value for money,” said an Alliance Party spokesperson.
Meanwhile, Sinn Féin, the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), and People Before Profit stated that their elected representatives did not use the free charging points. A Sinn Féin spokesperson was unequivocal: “No Sinn Féin MLA uses the electric vehicle (EV) charging points at Stormont. Any MLA who uses the free charging points for electric vehicles at Stormont should declare this and make the appropriate reduction if claiming travel expenses.” The Traditional Unionist Voice went a step further, calling for complete transparency to preserve public confidence.
Finance Minister John O’Dowd weighed in during a concurrent finance committee meeting, emphasizing that the public “rightly expects an equitable relationship regarding expenses” and directed further structural inquiries to the Assembly Commission. This statement echoes a growing consensus that the days of free perks for politicians—especially those that overlap with other forms of compensation—are numbered.
The Assembly Commission is now working at pace to introduce a new payment infrastructure for the EV chargers, aiming to bring Stormont in line with the wider trend across public bodies in Northern Ireland and the UK. The new system is expected to match the commercial on-street charging networks that are now commonplace, ending the era of free charging at the seat of government.
Among those who have used the charging points are DUP MLAs Pam Cameron and Trevor Clarke, and Alliance MLA David Honeyford, according to News NI. The controversy, however, centers more on the arrangement itself than on any allegation of wrongdoing by individual members. One Alliance MP reportedly said she was not sure her party’s energy spokesman, David Honeyford, “fully realised” he was getting paid twice for fuel—a comment that captures the practical confusion and the broader concern about how the system was understood and managed internally.
The original rationale for the free charging—supporting sustainable transport choices when EV infrastructure was rare—has been overtaken by the widespread availability of charging points and a shift in public attitudes. As the Assembly moves to implement a fee-based system, the hope is that such changes will restore public trust and ensure that lawmakers are held to the same standards as the citizens they serve.
While the immediate effect is that the six charging points remain out of use, the longer-term outcome will depend on the details of the new system and how reimbursement is handled. For now, the saga serves as a reminder that even well-intentioned perks can become political liabilities if they fail to keep pace with changing expectations and transparency standards.