By Christopher McKeon And Ian Jones Pa Lee Grimsditch
MPs have been gifted over £1 million in perks since the election, including foreign travel, accommodation and tickets to sporting events and concerts. Rows over complimentary tickets and other gifts given to senior Labour figures, including Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, present a challenge for the Government that had pledged to restore trust in politics as a key part of its election campaign. However, an analysis of the MPs’ Register of Interests by the PA news agency reveals that hundreds of MPs have declared receiving gifts in the past year. A total of 236 MPs reported receiving gifts from UK sources, amounting to £477,539, while 144 admitted to having been on overseas trips funded by donors, charities, think tanks or foreign governments, totalling another £810,761. Sign up to the MEN Politics newsletter Due North here In all, 318 MPs declared receipt of gifts in the year following the election, representing just under half of the total number of MPs in the Commons. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage declared the highest value, with gifts totalling £98,709 over the past year. The majority of these were flights and accommodation for several trips to the US, paid for by Reform donor Christopher Harborne and party volunteer George Cottrell. Additionally, they included £8,413 for a helicopter journey from JC Bamford, whose owner has previously supported the Tories, and tickets worth £2,000 from boxer Derek Chisora to watch his bout against Joe Joyce last August. The Prime Minister emerged as the largest beneficiary of hospitality from UK sources, largely due to his frequent presence at Arsenal matches. Sir Keir reported receiving £11,170 worth of football tickets over the past year. A devoted Arsenal season ticket holder, he has previously stated that security concerns prevent him from sitting in the stands. However, he has been granted a seat in the club directors’ box, allowing him to continue attending games with his son. The Prime Minister disclosed a total of £17,344 in hospitality and other gifts since the election. Other contributions included tickets from Universal Music and the FA to see Taylor Swift, as well as the loan of clothing for his wife. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch declared a single gift – a sum of £14,350 from Tory donor Neil Record to cover workspace, accommodation, and hospitality for a series of meetings in Gloucestershire in March this year. While several MPs received substantial amounts in gifts, most declared lesser sums or none at all, with the average MP receiving £1,208 in gifts over the year. In the past year, 49 MPs were given complimentary tickets to football matches, amounting to nearly £59,000 in total. However, gifts from football clubs and organisations such as the FA and the Premier League exceeded £70,000, encompassing concert tickets as well as matchday hospitality. The most significant donation of sports tickets was declared by shadow business minister Greg Smith, who enjoyed hospitality worth £5,160 at last year’s British Grand Prix, courtesy of Silverstone. Four other MPs, including Commons Leader Lucy Powell and shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel, also benefited from Silverstone’s hospitality last year. In 2024, eight MPs were treated to hospitality by the Lawn Tennis Association at Wimbledon, while golf’s R&A provided four MPs with tickets to the Open. A further 49 MPs received invitations to award ceremonies such as the Baftas, the Brit Awards and the British Kebab Awards. Additionally, 23 MPs were given tickets and hospitality for horse racing events, and 21 were gifted concert tickets. The most sought-after concerts were part of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, with nine MPs receiving complimentary tickets totalling £14,628, primarily from the Premier League and the FA. As well as the Prime Minister, they included Cabinet ministers Darren Jones, Peter Kyle, Bridget Phillipson and Wes Streeting, and Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey. During the last election, Labour campaigned on a pledge to restore probity to public life after the scandals that had plagued the previous Conservative government. Last year Sir Keir sought to toughen up transparency rules for ministers, introducing a new monthly register of gifts and hospitality for ministers rather than the previous quarterly releases. He also changed the Ministerial Code in November to include the seven principles of public life directly in the rules and allow the independent adviser on ministerial standards to launch his own investigations. But Alastair McCapra, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, warned the continued culture of gifts and hospitality in British politics risked creating a “full-blown crisis of legitimacy”. He said: “At the heart of this credibility gap is the shadowy relationship between business and politics. “The entrenched culture of gifts and hospitality in British politics creates the perception of corruption, and the suspicion of back doors to access are damaging a Labour Party that campaigned on promises of transparency, integrity and a break from the past. “Political scandals thrive in the gaps between information and silence. “If the Government and the business community are serious about building back trust, they must prioritise and accept a relationship that is transparent and accountable to the public.” Join the Manchester Evening News WhatsApp group HERE