MPs declare more than £1m gifts in just one year - from holidays to helicopter rides

Since the election, MPs have been showered with over £1 million in gifts, encompassing foreign travel, accommodation, and tickets to sports events and concerts.

Early on, the Government faced controversy over complimentary tickets and other presents given to senior Labour figures, including Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, despite their election campaign's focus on restoring faith in politics.

However, a review of the MPs' Register of Interests by the PA news agency reveals that hundreds of MPs have reported receiving gifts in the past year.

A total of 236 MPs declared gifts from UK sources, amounting to £477,539, while 144 admitted to embarking on overseas trips funded by donors, charities, think tanks or foreign governments, valued at an additional £810,761.

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In all, 318 MPs - just under half of those seated in the Commons - disclosed that they had received gifts in the year following the election.

Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, topped the list, having accepted gifts totalling £98,709 over the past year. The majority of these were flights and accommodation for several trips to the United States, paid for by Reform donor Christopher Harborne and party volunteer George Cottrell.

Additionally, he received £8,413 for a helicopter ride from JC Bamford, a previous Tory supporter, and £2,000 worth of tickets from boxer Derek Chisora to watch his bout against Joe Joyce last August.

The Prime Minister has emerged as the top beneficiary of hospitality from UK sources, largely due to his frequent appearances at Arsenal matches.

Sir Keir, a die-hard Arsenal season ticket holder, declared football tickets worth £11,170 over the past year. He's previously mentioned that he can no longer mingle with fans in the stands due to security reasons, but the club directors have kindly offered him a seat in their box so he can continue to enjoy games with his son.

In total, the Prime Minister has declared £17,344 in hospitality and other gifts since the election. Other generous donations include tickets from Universal Music and the FA to see Taylor Swift, and a loan of clothing for his wife.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch reported just one gift – a hefty £14,350 from Tory donor Neil Record to cover work space, accommodation and hospitality for a series of meetings in Gloucestershire this March. While some MPs have received substantial amounts in gifts, most have declared smaller sums or none at all, with the average MP receiving £1,208 in gifts over the year.

A total of 49 MPs were treated to free tickets to football matches in the past year, amounting to nearly £59,000. However, gifts from football clubs and organisations such as the FA and the Premier League exceeded £70,000, and included not only match-day hospitality but also concert tickets.

Shadow business minister Greg Smith topped the list for the most lavish sporting gift, having been treated to hospitality worth £5,160 at last year's British Grand Prix by hosts Silverstone.

Four other MPs, including Commons Leader Lucy Powell and shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel, also enjoyed Silverstone's hospitality last year.

The Lawn Tennis Association played host to eight MPs at Wimbledon in 2024, while golf's R&A handed out tickets to four MPs for the Open.

A further 49 MPs were gifted tickets to glitzy award ceremonies such as the Baftas, the Brit Awards and the British Kebab Awards. Meanwhile, 23 MPs were treated to tickets and hospitality at horse racing events, and 21 scored tickets to concerts.

Taylor Swift's Eras Tour proved to be a hit among MPs, with nine of them receiving complimentary tickets totalling £14,628, primarily from the Premier League and the FA. These lucky recipients included Prime Minister Darren Jones, Cabinet ministers Peter Kyle, Bridget Phillipson and Wes Streeting, and Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey.

Labour had campaigned during the last election on a promise to bring integrity back to public life following the scandals that had marred the previous Conservative government. In an effort to bolster transparency, last year Sir Keir introduced a new monthly register of gifts and hospitality for ministers, replacing the previous quarterly releases.

He also tweaked the Ministerial Code in November to directly incorporate the seven principles of public life into the regulations and gave the independent adviser on ministerial standards the green light to kick off his own probes.

However, Alastair McCapra, the head honcho at the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, sounded the alarm over the persistent culture of freebies and schmoozing in British politics, suggesting it could spark a "full-blown crisis of legitimacy". He pointed out: "At the heart of this credibility gap is the shadowy relationship between business and politics."

McCapra didn't hold back, criticising the entrenched tradition of gifts and hospitality as creating "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."

He warned: "Political scandals thrive in the gaps between information and silence."

To wrap up, he made a call to action, saying: "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."