London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Feb 14, 2026

Tory leadership: Labour calls for inquiry into Liz Truss event

Tory leadership: Labour calls for inquiry into Liz Truss event

Tory leadership hopeful Liz Truss should be investigated over allegations she did not declare thousands of pounds spent on wooing MPs at a dinner event, Labour has said.

Labour says a so-called "Fizz with Liz" event at a London club last year may have breached spending rules for MPs.

The Independent said £3,000 was spent and paid by club owner Robin Birley.

MPs must declare hospitality worth over £300, but Ms Truss's team says she did not organise the event.

A spokesperson for Ms Truss said: "A declaration would only need to made if there was a benefit to Liz, or it was above the threshold for individual declarations for MPs register of interests."

A source added the foreign secretary was one of a number of MPs in attendance at the event, which was hosted at the 5 Hertford Street club in Mayfair, London.

The event was first reported by the Independent newspaper, which said about a dozen Tory MPs attended the "champagne dinner" at the private members' club.

Ms Truss's campaign told the paper the event was "put on" by the club's owner Mr Birley, who has previously donated to the Conservative Party.

The BBC has attempted to contact Mr Birley to request his comment on the event.

A copy of an invitation to "a dinner at 5 Hereford Street on Tuesday 26 October", which came from Ms Truss's office and was apparently printed on parliamentary paper, has been shared with the BBC.

Parliament's code of conduct says MPs must register "any gifts, benefits or hospitality with a value of over £300 which they receive from a UK source".

This includes "benefits which relate in any way to their membership of the House or political activities, if provided by a UK source either free or at concessionary rates".


Questions raised


An ally of Ms Truss's Tory leadership rival, Rishi Sunak, said there were questions to be answered "about who organised the event, who paid for it and why nothing was declared".

In a letter, Labour said Ms Truss had "serious questions" to answer about spending on the event and asked the Cabinet Secretary Simon Case to investigate the matter.

The letter - written by Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner and shadow Commons leader Thangam Debbonaire - said the £3,000 reportedly spent on the event had "not been declared either on the foreign secretary's ministerial gifts declaration, October to December 2021, or in her Register of Members' Financial Interests, as at 1 November 2021".


The letter says there are "questions about whether the foreign secretary was acting in her ministerial capacity, or her capacity as a member of Parliament" at the event.

"The public has a right to know why such a significant donation for hospitality was not properly declared by the foreign secretary," the letter says.

The Liberal Democrats have called on Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards Kathryn Stone to open an investigation into the matter.

Located on the corner of Shepherd Market in Mayfair, 5 Hertford Street is reported to be one of London's most exclusive clubs.

The club made headlines earlier this year when the Sunday Times reported Ms Truss had used the venue to host receptions with Tory MPs in preparation for a possible leadership bid.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
China’s EV Makers Face Mandatory Return to Physical Buttons and Door Handles in Driver-Distraction Safety Overhaul
Goldman Sachs and DP World Executive Resignations: Elite-Reputation Risk and Corporate Governance Fallout From the Epstein Disclosures
‘Amelia’: The UK Government’s Anti-Extremism Game Villain Who Became a Protest Symbol
Peter Mandelson Asked to Testify Before US Congress Over Jeffrey Epstein Links
Walmart's Earnings and UK Economic Data Highlight Upcoming Financial Trends
UK Green Party Considering Proposal to Legalize Heroin for an Inclusive Society
SpaceX's New Vision: Lunar City Takes Precedence Over Mars Colonization
OpenAI and DeepCent Superintelligence Race: Artificial General Intelligence and AI Agents as a National Security Arms Race
Document Suggests Prince Andrew Shared UK Briefing on Afghan Investment Opportunities with Jeffrey Epstein
We will protect them from the digital Wild West.’ Another country will ban social media for under-16s
McDonald's Shortens Breakfast Hours in Australia Due to Egg Shortage
Heineken announces cut of 6,000 jobs due to declining beer demand
Beijing Brands UK Hong Kong Visa Expansion ‘Despicable and Reprehensible’ After Jimmy Lai Sentencing
Tesco Chief Warns UK Is ‘Sleepwalking’ Toward a Joblessness Crisis
Trump’s ‘Act of Great Stupidity’ Comment on UK Chagos Deal Reverberates Through Diplomacy and Strategy
New U.S. filings say Jeffrey Epstein repaid Les Wexner one hundred million dollars after theft allegation
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick acknowledges 2012 visit to Jeffrey Epstein’s private island as lawmakers scrutinise past ties
Helsing and Stark Defence loitering-munition drones and Germany’s race to industrialise battlefield autonomy
UK orders deletion of Courtsdesk court-data archive, reigniting the fight over who controls public justice records
UK Police Review Fresh Claims Involving Prince Andrew as Senior Royals Respond to Epstein Files
Keir Starmer’s Premiership Faces Unprecedented Strain as Epstein Fallout Deepens
Starmer Vows to Stay in Office as UK Government Faces Turmoil After Epstein Fallout
China and UK Signal Tentative Reset with Commitment to Steadier, Professionally Managed Relations
UK Confirms Imminent Increase in ETA Fee to £20 as Entry Rules Tighten
UK Signals Possible Seizure of Russia-Linked ‘Shadow Fleet’ Tanker in Escalation of Sanctions Enforcement
Epstein Scandal Piles Unprecedented Pressure on UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Leadership
UK’s ‘Most Romantic Village’ Celebrates Valentine’s Day and Explores the Festival’s Rich History
The Implications of Expanding Voting Rights to Non-EU Foreign Residents in France
Ghislaine Maxwell to Testify Before US Congress on February 9
Al.com Acquired by Crypto.com Founder for $70 Million
Apple iPhone Lockdown Mode blocks FBI data access in journalist device seizure
Belgium: Man Charged with Rape After Faking Payment to Sex Worker
KPMG Urges Auditor to Relay AI Cost Savings
US and Iran to Begin Nuclear Talks in Oman
Winklevoss-Led Gemini to Slash a Quarter of Jobs and Exit European and Australian Markets
Canada Opens First Consulate in Greenland Amid Rising Geopolitical Tensions
China unveils plans for a 'Death Star' capable of launching missile strikes from space
NASA allows astronauts to take smartphones on upcoming missions to capture special moments.
Trump administration to launch TrumpRx.gov for direct drug purchases
Investigation Launched at Winter Olympics Over Ski Jumpers Injecting Hyaluronic Acid
U.S. State Department Issues Urgent Travel Warning for Citizens to Leave Iran Immediately
Wall Street Erases All Gains of 2026; Bitcoin Plummets 14% to $63,000
Epstein Case Documents Reignite Global Scrutiny of Political and Business Elites
Eighty-one-year-old man in the United States fatally shoots Uber driver after scam threat
UK Royal Family Faces Intensifying Strain as Epstein-Linked Revelations Rock the Institution
Political Censorship: French Prosecutors Raid Musk’s X Offices in Paris
AI Invented “Hot Springs” — Tourists Arrived and Were Shocked
Tech Mega-Donors Power Trump-Aligned Fundraising Surge to $429 Million Ahead of 2026 Midterms
UK Pharma Watchdog Rules Sanofi Breached Industry Code With RSV Vaccine Claims Against Pfizer
Melania Documentary Opens Modestly in UK with Mixed Global Box Office Performance
×