Exclusive: Oliver Dowden and Keir Starmer among those who enjoyed free tickets to events including the Chelsea flower show and the Derby
More than 100 MPs have enjoyed free hospitality to concerts and sporting events worth more than £180,000 this summer, with tickets given away by banks, oil companies, the gambling industry and media firms.
The chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, the deputy prime minister, Oliver Dowden, and the Labour leader, Keir Starmer, are among those who have benefited from a growing trend for politicians accepting giveaways.
Jeremy Hunt, chancellor: £600 Chelsea flower show visit from Lloyds Banking Group, plus theatre and opera tickets.
Oliver Dowden, deputy prime minister and Cabinet Office minister: £1,210 Chelsea flower show hospitality from Fenchurch Advisory, plus trips to Ascot, the Royal Opera House and Formula One.
Keir Starmer, leader of the Labour party: £3,716 Epsom Derby box and hospitality from the Jockey Club, plus £698 Coldplay concert tickets in Manchester.
Wes Streeting, shadow health secretary: £1,050 Hay festival hospitality from Sky. £600 Glyndebourne tickets from FGS Global.
Andrew Griffith, economic secretary to the Treasury: £2,000 of hospitality at Silverstone from Sky; £400 ticket to the Ashes.
Laura Trott, pensions and financial inclusion minister: free tickets and hospitality at Glastonbury worth more than £3,000 from Google.
Paul Scully, science and technology minister: £1,560 of Wimbledon hospitality from BP and £1,100 Billy Joel concert tickets from the Betting and Gaming Council.
Tulip Siddiq, shadow economic secretary to the Treasury: £370 Chelsea flower show tickets from Lloyds Banking Group.
Jonathan Reynolds, shadow business secretary: £3,000 worth of Glastonbury tickets and hospitality from Google.
Continue reading…
