Water watchdog chairman, 61, embroiled in expenses row after 'using student railcard to get money off first-class train tickets'
The 61-year-old boss of a billpayer-funded water body twice claimed first-class train tickets twice using a young person's railcard.
Robert Wilson, a former Tory MP, chairs the Consumer Council for Water (CCW), an independent body representing water and sewerage customers in England and Wales.
Mr Wilson claimed a 16-25 railcard discount on two journeys he took in first class last year, in March and November.
Using the railcard, he claimed a one-third discount, which made the first-class seat cheaper than a standard ticket.
The CCW allows first-class tickets to be expensed only if they are cheaper than standard fares.
A 16-25 railcard costs £35 for one year and £80 for three years, giving those in that age range a third off most fares.
Mr Wilson represented Reading East for the Conservatives, first elected in 2005, before being defeated at the 2017 election.
The seat was abolished at the 2024 election with its wards split between two constituencies, both currently held by Labour MPs.
Former Conservative MP Rob Wilson, 61, used a 16-25 railcard to bring down the price of a first-class expensed train ticket twice last year
He had served in government under prime ministers David Cameron and Theresa May, going on to serve as an independent board member on the CCW from July 2018 before being appointed its chair in June 2024.
Expense reports obtained by the Sunday Telegraph showed Mr Wilson claimed the first-class journeys using a railcard to which he was not entitled.
But the CCW said Mr Wilson 'mistakenly' selected the discount.
A spokesman said: 'First-class train travel is only granted in exceptional circumstances and where it can be proven it will be cheaper than booking standard class tickets, which was evidenced in both cases.
'In two instances, our Chair mistakenly selected the 16-25 Railcard option instead of his Network Railcard when booking tickets online.
'The error was realised on one of those occasions and he then paid the difference for that journey.'
Expense reports also showed Mr Wilson expensed lunches used to hold mid-year performance reviews, including a £71.39 lunch in December 2024 which included two glasses of red wine.
In 2015, then an MP, Mr Wilson was revealed to have claimed 9p in travel expenses for a 0.2 mile trip from his home to a neighbouring street.
There was also a 13p claim for a 0.3 mile drive - which would have taken around three minutes to walk.
From 2010 to 2015 Mr Wilson made nearly 160 travel claims of less than £1.
His CCW receipts show he claimed as little as £1.80 for mileage while working for the body.
But the full extent of his expenses remains unclear after historic receipts were reportedly lost.
Water companies do not legally have to engage with the CCW and the Government set out plans last year to replace it with an ombudsman armed with stronger powers.
