Conflict of interest? The MPs given gifts by the companies they regulate
Politicians on Westminster's culture, media and sport committee have taken £50,000 in freebies and donations from industries they are charged with scrutinising
By Fin Johnston
MPs responsible for overseeing Britain’s betting, sports, and media industries have accepted more than £50,000 in gifts, hospitality, and donations from gambling companies, TV channels, and entertainment businesses, Democracy for Sale has found.
Members of the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) select committee have received free tickets and hospitality packages to Hollywood film premieres, star-studded award ceremonies, and Premier League matches over the past two years.
The DCMS committee has previously launched numerous high-profile investigations. Transparency campaigners warn that politicians sitting on the influential committee risk being compromised by accepting freebies from the very companies they are meant to scrutinise.
On Thursday, Chancellor Rachel Reeves pledged not to accept free concert tickets again after facing criticism for attending a Sabrina Carpenter concert with complimentary tickets.
Tory MP Caroline Dinenage, chair of the DCMS select committee, has accepted over £13,000 in hospitality since taking the position in May 2023. This includes a trip to the BAFTAs earlier this year, which featured a £4,000 hospitality package paid for by NBC Universal, and a ticket to Lord’s cricket ground paid for by Sky TV.
Labour MP Rupa Huq has declared £3,000 in hospitality while on the DCMS committee. Since joining in October, her Labour colleague Tom Rutland has accepted a hospitality package worth £3,120 to attend the Brit Awards and tickets worth £1000 to the Gladiator II premiere.
There are no limits on the gifts that MPs can accept so long as they are declared on their register of interests.
Two newly elected MPs received significant hospitality and donations from betting and gaming companies before last year’s general election.
Labour’s James Frith declared a £600 hospitality package for a Premier League football game in May, listing the donor as "Michael Dugher." However, Dugher is also the chair and former CEO of the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC).
The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) has consistently lobbied against tighter rules for betting companies, including campaigning against the banning of free bets, and arguing against mandatory affordability checks, which would ensure punters are able to financially cope with their losses.
Frith had previously been MP Bury North between 2017 and 2019. In 2021, while working as a lobbyist for Atticus Partners, Frith criticised “the political gratuity” of attacks on the betting sector in a piece for the BGC website,
After joining the DCMS committee in October, Frith accepted a £500 ticket to a Manchester United match and a £1,000 hospitality package to the World Darts Championship final in January, courtesy of bookmakers Paddy Power.
Labour has previously faced scrutiny for accepting hundreds of thousands of pounds in donations from the gambling industry.
Liberal Democrat MP for Guildford, Zoe Franklin, a DCMS select committee member, declared in-kind donations worth £29,600 from video game company Stellar Entertainment. It is understood that this was for office space ahead of the general election.
A spokesperson for Franklin said: “Computer game design and development is a key sector in Guildford, and Zöe is actively engaged in supporting local businesses and the industry nationwide.”
Select committees’ roles include scrutinising major businesses in the industries they oversee. The DCMS committee has previously launched inquiries into gambling regulations, the future of football, and broadband rollout.
Experts told Democracy for Sale that MPs on select committees risk being influenced by the gifts they receive.
“Legislators shouldn’t be inviting conflict of interest accusations by accepting hospitality from the gambling industry,” said Matt Zarb-Cousin, director of Clean Up Gambling.
“Free gifts and hospitality are mainly about neutralising MPs,” he added. “They have such a great time on these trips—sitting in VIP boxes, watching football, enjoying free drinks—that they just want to go again.”
Jon Narcross of Transparency International echoed these concerns, saying that these freebies should be seen as “part of a concerted advocacy strategy to win support for the industry's agenda.”
“No one’s going to believe that these are just random acts of generosity from companies,” Narcross said.
Labour leader Keir Starmer faced criticism last year for accepting thousands of pounds worth of gifts from Labour donor Lord Waheed Alli. When questioned about it at the time, the prime minister responded, “All MPs get gifts.”
You can follow Fin Johnson on Substack here.
Peter here. I just wanted to give you a head’s up about an event you might be interested in this weekend.
On Sunday, March 30, I’ll be speaking at Sunday Papers Live in London, talking about ‘Power and Influence: How Money is Reshaping Politics’ with my fellow former openDemocracy editor Mary Fitzgerald.
Sunday Papers Live also features performances from top writers, journalists, comedians, and artists as well as Sunday roasts, Bloody Marys, and even a live crossword. Join us at Park Village Studios, Regents Park, with doors opening at 12:30 pm. For info here.
This is absolutely disgraceful and must be stopped. One way and another I am now seeing what a stupid nation we are if we have this situation and politicians have done nothing to stop it. Where is the ethical intellect to allow this to be set up, let alone continue? It is utterly shameful.
It’s not like they’re paid a poor salary. Companies will always try to buy favour, even by backhanders. It undermines our trust in politicians and cements the argument that they’re in it for themselves.