Premier League officials have warned that proposals for a UK watchdog on gifting could weaken the appeal of football.
Keir Starmer (Image: Getty)
The Observer found that more than a third of the cabinet and at least 60 MPs (41 of which are Labour) have been given tickets in the last three years, worth up to £4,000 for individual events.
The Premier League also told Express.co.uk that spending £8,500 to take five Labour MPs to the Brit Awards “is normal practice”.
Clive Betts, Labour MP and chair of the all-party parliamentary group on football, said the giveaways were “clearly part of a campaign”. He said: “I don’t think they can influence the regulator being set up, but they can influence what powers it has.”
Jonathan Reynolds (Image: Getty)
Labour has proposed plans to increase the financial powers of a watchdog after the Tory’s football governance bill ran out of time in parliament following the election.
Premier League bosses are lobbying to water down the powers of the 2021 review of football ordinance. It would have the power to demand financial information from clubs and scrutinise owners’ finances.
The following year, the Premier League gave MPs gifts worth more than £11,500 in 2022, £28,000 in 2023 and £68,000 in the first nine months of 2024.
The Premier League gave MPs gifts of just £5,500 in 2018, according to analysis of MPs declared interests by the Observer.
Last year, business secretary Jonathan Reynolds accepted two tickets worth £1,000 for the Europa League match between Manchester United and Barcelona at Old Trafford.
Reynolds said last month he had “no problem” with MPs accepting hospitality, saying it was “always going to be the case people in public life are invited to certain events”.
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Exposed: The full list of 10 Labour MPs who lapped up free Taylor Swift tickets
Taylor Swift (Image: Getty)
Ten Labour MPs have accepted free tickets to attend Taylor Swift concerts, with many including VIP treatment such as access to a private box, food and drink.
Tickets were provided by the football industry, which is fighting a battle against government plans to introduce an independent regulator and the total value of the freebies is more than £22,000.
Schools Minister Catherine McKinnell enjoyed “two tickets with hospitality” for a Taylor Swift concert worth a total of £2,000, courtesy of the Premier League.
Darren Jones, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, accepted “four tickets with hospitality to attend the Taylor Swift concert at Wembley Stadium” valued at £3,400 in total, also from the Premier League.
Chris Ward, Sir Keir Starmer’s Parliamentary Private Secretary, received a Premier League gift of two tickets with hospitality worth £1,660.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting was given four tickets worth £1,160 in total from the Football Association while Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson received two tickets worth a total of £522.54, also from the Football Association.
Other Labour MPs who received Taylor Swift tickets include Joe Morris, Liam Conlon, Dan Carden, Kim Johnson and party leader Sir Keir Starmer.
Ian Byrne, elected as a Labour MP and now sitting as an independent, received two Taylor Swift tickets valued at £900 from the chief executive of Liverpool FC.
The only MP from another party who declared receiving Taylor Swift tickets was Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey, who was given two tickets by the Football Association worth £584 in August.
