Sheffield MP accepts over £6,000 worth of lavish gifts amid Labour donation row

MP for Sheffield Heeley and Secretary of State for Transport, Louise Haigh, has accepted more than £6,000 of gifts from donors, according to her declarations to the Register of Member’s Financial Interests.

In February this year, Louise was given two hospitality tickets to the BAFTAs, valued at £1,580. She also attended the 2023 BAFTAs, accepting one ticket, including a pre-reception and dinner with a value of £1,521.

Louise, who has been an MP since 2015, was also given a hospitality ticket to the League One playoff final between Sheffield Wednesday and Barnsley at Wembley worth £598. The MP was given the ticket by the Betting and Gaming Council, the largest gambling lobbying group in the UK.

On top of this, she accepted two hospitality tickets to Glastonbury Festival in 2023, valued at £2,462.

In recent weeks, Labour politicians have faced growing criticism for accepting large amounts of gifts from donors, with questions being asked of what donors are getting in return

Keir Starmer recently came under fire for accepting successive donations from Labour peer, Lord Alli, including £32,000 in clothes, £2,400 in glasses and the use of Lord Alli’s £18 million London penthouse. Keir Starmer has accepted £107,145 in donations and gifts since 2019, more than double as much as any other MP.

This week, the Prime Minister has paid back more than £6,000 after enduring public backlash.

In particular, Labour’s ministers have been criticised for accepting hospitality tickets to concerts and sports fixtures, as Louise Haigh has done. Keir Starmer has claimed he accepted hospitality tickets to Arsenal football matches, to save cost to the taxpayer.

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During their time in government, the Conservative Party was also at times criticised for accepting large donations. The bills paid by donors to renovate Boris Johnson’s Downing Street flat reportedly ran into six figures.

A spokesperson on behalf of Louise Haigh MP for Sheffield Heeley said: “Louise has always been a huge champion of British culture, championing grassroots music and sports and the whole industry in the Houses of Parliament.

“The only position she has ever taken on gambling was to advocate for stricter regulations around fixed odds betting terminals and their social impact.  She would never allow hospitality to influence her position on any issue.”

This was received and declared in a full and transparent manner.”

Matt Zarb-Cousin, director of Clean Up Gambling, said: “When sectors can’t win the policy argument they go on a charm offensive, so it’s no surprise to see the gambling industry outspending every other sector on gifts to politicians.”

A spokesperson from Sheffield Conservatives said: “This is yet another example of Labour’s hypocrisy. It’s revealing that in January 2022, Louise Haigh criticised the then PM, Boris, for accepting donations for Downing Street renovations.

“She tweeted he ought to ask his millionaire mates to fix her constituents’ roofs. Perhaps she can ask her donors to pay for pensioners’ winter fuel allowances, which she voted to strip to make way for pay rises for highly paid transport workers.”

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Featured images @keirstarmer and @haigh.louise via Instagram