Fury over freebies received by MPs is continuing to grow but should politicians be banned from accepting gifts? Have your say.
Should MPs be banned from accepting freebies? (Image: GETTY)
A row over MPs accepting thousands of pounds in free gifts is continuing to grow, with Chancellor Rachel Reeves the latest in the firing line.
The Chancellor has accepted £7,500 towards clothing since the beginning of 2023. Despite declaring the donation, she did not say the money would be spent on clothing.
The fury was first sparked over Sir Keir Starmer not initially declaring clothes his wife Victoria was bought.
Millionaire Labour peer Waheed Alli has given more than £500,000 to Labour over a period of 20 years, including money for clothes for both Sir Keir and his wife.
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has also come under fire after it emerged she stayed at a flat owned by Mr Alli in New York over the new year.
Following the row over gifts, the Prime Minister, Ms Reeves and Ms Rayner have said they will no longer accept free clothes from donors.
However, many are still angry at just how many freebies Mr Starmer has accepted, totalling more than £100,000 over the past five years.
Some of these include tickets to the sold out Taylor Swift Eras Tour, Euros football tickets and two seats in the corporate area of Emirates Stadium to watch Arsenal matches.
The PM defended his VIP football seats, saying he had been advised sitting in the stands would cost the taxpayer more in security, adding he would “rather be in the stands”.
He said: “If I don’t accept hospitality, I can’t go to the game. You could say: ‘Well, bad luck’. That’s why gifts have to be registered. But never going to an Arsenal game again because I can’t accept hospitality is pushing it a bit far.”
Several MPs have accused Sir Keir of “hypocrisy” and “double standards” – with Rishi Sunak
Former acting Labour leader Baroness Harman, told Sky News: “I think doubling down and trying to justify it is… making things worse.”
Current rules on politicians receiving gifts state that MPs must register any they are given with 28 days.
Any gift over £300 must be registered and anything over £500 should come from a “permissible donor” registered in the UK.
The Government website adds:
- Gifts should be of a nominal or notional value
- The gift must be given for an appropriate reason
- The gift must be of a “one-off” or irregular nature
So should MPs be banned from accepting freebies? Scroll up to vote in our poll and have your say in the comments below.
