MPs Declare Over One Dollar Six Million in Gifts Since 2010
MPs have declared over one dollar six million in gifts, benefits, and hospitality since 2010. The value of gifts declared in 2023 was approximately one dollar three hundred thousand, a significant increase from four hundred eighty-three thousand five hundred and seven dollars in 2021. Controversies and calls for reform emphasize the need for transparent rules for MPs and ministers.
Since 2010, MPs have declared over one dollar six million in gifts, benefits, and hospitality, with a notable surge in the past two years.
In 2023, MPs declared gifts worth approximately one dollar three hundred thousand, almost tripling the 2021 total of four hundred eighty-three thousand five hundred and seven dollars.
Laurence Robertson, the former Tory MP for Tewkesbury, tops the list with eighty-eight gifts valued at eighty-one thousand nine hundred thirteen dollars and fifty-three cents, primarily from betting and horse racing companies.
The controversy surrounding Keir Starmer's undeclared designer items has intensified scrutiny, prompting calls for reform.
While ministers currently declare gifts via their departments without detailed valuations, experts and political figures argue for harmonized, transparent rules for all MPs and ministers.
Senior government officials are considering changes, which could be implemented by the modernisation committee, led by Commons leader Lucy Powell.