A business minister said she is investigating whether she can pay for a BBC gift after Sir Keir Starmer paid back more than £6,000 worth of gifts and hospitality. Sarah Jones said she received a ticket to the BBC Proms over the summer and was a guest of the broadcaster, adding it “may not be possible” to pay it back as it was a gift in kind. Her disclosure came amid questions over whether ministers would follow Prime Minister Sir Keir’s lead in covering the cost for some gifts and hospitality received since entering Number 10 after he faced weeks of criticism over decisions to accept freebies.
Ms Jones said “nobody else is being asked” to do that because “nobody has broken the rules”. Gifts paid for by Sir Keir include four Taylor Swift tickets from Universal Music Group totalling £2,800, two from the Football Association at a cost of £598, and four to Doncaster Races from Arena Racing Corporation at £1,939. An £839 clothing rental agreement with Edeline Lee, the designer recently worn by his wife to London Fashion Week, along with one hour of hair and makeup, was also covered by the Prime Minister.
Sir Keir has committed to overhauling hospitality rules for ministers to ensure better transparency about what is provided following the backlash. Labour frontbencher Ms Jones, MP for Croydon West, told Times Radio: “If I looked at me being an MP for seven years, been to three events – one Selhurst Park, one the Capital Radio Summertime Ball which the owners.
