London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Sep 15, 2025

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
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
London Daily Podcast: London Massive Pro Democracy Rally, Musk Support, UK Economic Data and Premier League Results Mark Eventful Weekend
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Musk calls for new UK government at huge pro-democracy rally in London, but Britons have been brainwashed to obey instead of fighting for their human rights
Elon Musk responds to post calling for the murder of Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk: 'Either we fight back or they will kill us'
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
USA: Office Depot Employees Refused to Print Poster in Memory of Charlie Kirk – and Were Fired
Proposed U.S. Bill Would Allow Civil Suits Against Judges Who Release Repeat Violent Offenders
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
French Debt Downgrade Piles Pressure on Macron’s New Prime Minister
US and UK Near Tech, Nuclear and Whisky Deals Ahead of Trump Trip
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
Anesthesiologist Left Operation Mid-Surgery to Have Sex with Nurse
Tens of Thousands of Young Chinese Get Up Every Morning and Go to Work Where They Do Nothing
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
The German Owner of Politico Mathias Döpfner Eyes Further U.S. Media Expansion After Axel Springer Restructuring
Suspect Arrested: Utah Man in Custody for Charlie Kirk’s Fatal Shooting
In a politically motivated trial: Bolsonaro Sentenced to 27 Years for Plotting Coup After 2022 Defeat
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
Pig Heads Left Outside Multiple Paris Mosques in Outrage-Inducing Acts
Nvidia’s ‘Wow’ Factor Is Fading. The AI chip giant used to beat Wall Street expectations for earnings by a substantial margin. That trajectory is coming down to earth.
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
On the Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s Death: Prince Harry Returns to Britain
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
×