MPs ‘failing to learn lesson’ over freebies after accepting £400,000 of hospitality

MPs have continued to accept substantial amounts of hospitality despite public criticism following the controversy around Prime Minister Keir Starmer's acceptance of free tickets to football matches and other events. Recent disclosures reveal that nearly £400,000 in free tickets, hospitality and gifts has been accepted by members of Parliament between January and July of this year, surpassing previous levels of such activity. Notable figures including Louise Haigh, Lucy Powell and Wes Streeting have accepted high-value hospitality, with some of them later appointed to cabinet roles. Among the latest revelations, Lucy Powell, the deputy leader and education secretary, received £858 worth of tickets to a Harry Styles concert at Wembley from the PRS for Music industry group. Wes Streeting, the defence secretary, accepted £1,839 worth of tickets to the Chelsea flower show from Lloyds Banking Group. Louise Haigh took a £1,314 ticket to the Ivor Novello awards, while Anneliese Midgley, the chief whip, enjoyed hospitality at the Brit Awards for two worth £3,432. Additional hospitality included £350 from Flutter for attendance at the Cheltenham festival horse racing and £560 for tickets to the Grand National. These individuals were all backbench MPs before being promoted to cabinet positions under Andy Burnham. Heidi Alexander, the transport secretary, accepted £1,480 worth of tickets to the men’s Wimbledon singles final during her cabinet tenure. Ellie Reeves, the attorney general, accepted a £1,314 ticket to the Ivors while serving as solicitor general. Andy Burnham, who has since become the prime minister, declared hospitality worth approximately £6,000 this year, primarily linked to his former role as mayor of Greater Manchester, including £3,800 in tickets to the Brit Awards in Manchester and £500 for attendance at Ladies’ Day at the Grand National in Aintree. The practice of accepting free hospitality by MPs appeared to decline after mid-2024, following the scrutiny surrounding Starmer’s acceptance of football tickets. In March 2025, Rachel Reeves, then chancellor, stated she would not accept free concert tickets again after facing criticism for using them to take a family member to see Sabrina Carpenter at the O2 arena. She justified her decision on security grounds but acknowledged understanding public sentiment regarding the issue. At the same time, Matthew Pennycock, another government minister, claimed he had accepted “zero” free concert tickets, expressing personal disapproval of the practice. He noted that individual MPs made their own decisions on whether to accept such offers. According to reports from The Times in December 2025, the value of free tickets accepted by MPs was estimated at around £300,000 annually. However, this figure appears to have risen significantly, with almost £400,000 in complimentary tickets, hospitality and other gifts disclosed between January and July of this year, excluding foreign travel expenses. Sue Hawley, director of Spotlight on Corruption, called for MPs to reconsider their acceptance of free tickets, suggesting that some ministers and MPs seem to have forgotten the freebie-gate scandal that initially affected the early days of Starmer’s leadership. Duncan Hames, director of policy at Transparency International UK, emphasized that while receiving gifts and hospitality may be permissible, it does not imply appropriateness. He pointed out that such practices represent a well-established lobbying strategy employed by large businesses and foreign governments. According to him, there is no valid justification for elected officials to accept invitations and tickets to events unrelated to their parliamentary duties or local constituency work.