North’s MPs bagged more than £60,000 worth of gifts, benefits and hospitality in last Parliamentary term

MPs from the north claimed in excess of £60,000 worth of gifts, benefits and hospitality during the last Parliamentary term – pre its general election dissolution on May 30, 2024.

The figure comes in the wake of recent revelations British Prime Minister Sir Kier Starmer has declared over £100k in gifts, benefits and hospitality since December 2019.

This comprised almost £40,000 worth of tickets to football matches, and four Taylor Swift tickets valued at £4,000.

MPs are required to register gifts and donations within 28 days of receiving them and data compiled by Sky News and Tortoise Media has itemised much money the 650 Westminster MPs have received since the beginning of the last Parliament in 2019.

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The north’s 18 MPs declared a total of £61,757 in hospitality, gifts and benefits.

Former North Antrim DUP MP Ian Paisley received gifts and hospitality totalling slightly more than £14,000. This included paid trips to Morrocco and the Maldives, as well as Grand Prix tickets.

In 2016, Mr Paisley failed to declare a luxury family holiday to the Maldives to parliamentary authorities. He subsequently apologised but was not sanctioned as he was found not to have breached rules on the declaration of interests or paid advocacy. The holiday was declared in 2020.

Strangford DUP MP Jim Shannon declared political trips to Poland and Nigeria, worth £11,337, including flights, accommodation and food.

North Belfast Sinn Fein MP John Finucane declared trips paid for by Friends of Sinn Féin Canada, Friends of Sinn Féin Inc and Friends of Sinn Féin USA. The cost of the four trips came to £6,690.

West Belfast Sinn Féin MP Paul Maskey declared work trips paid for by various organisations, including one to the US paid for by Féile an Phobail and another to Columbia, for the Justice For Columbia charity. Mr Maskey’s trips totalled £6,300.

Several MPs or former MPs, including Sinn Féin’s Michelle Gildernew and the DUP’s Gregory Campbell did not declare any gifts or hospitality.

The SDLP’s two MPs, Claire Hanna and Colum Eastwood, declared trips to the US, Columbia and Brazil as part of their work, worth a combined total of £7,304.

Commenting, a SDLP spokesperson said: “SDLP MPs make full and transparent declarations in line with parliamentary rules.

“These declarations reflect travel and accommodation costs that were reimbursed for visits undertaken in connection with their work as public representatives.”

Former British Secretaries of State have also declared thousands of pounds in gifts and hospitality.

Karen Bradley (January 2018 to July 2019) declared £23,235, which included free tickets to Alton Towers, football matches and the Grand National.

Sir Brandon Lewis (February 2020 to July 2022) declared just over £9,000, including return helicopter flights that took him from London to Bolton and back to visit the University of Bolton last year, worth £4,952.

Chris Heaton-Harris (September 2022 to July 2024) received gifts and hospitality worth £7,131, including a ticket for the 2021 Brit Awards.