£144K VOICE-OVERKILL

Sunakrapped on bill for tax helpline messages

- MIKEY SMITH

RISHI Sunak’s Treasury team has blown £144,000 on a voice artist to read out tax helpline messages at a breathtaking £1 per word.

HM Revenue and Customs signed a three-year deal with London agency Mazaru to provide “top-notch quality” and the same voice artist every time. In contract documents, HMRC said: “We would like to retain the services of the same artist to ensure consistency of customer experience... and continuity in tone.”