UK Government to overhaul rules on ministers declaring hospitality

The rules on ministers accepting hospitality will be overhauled to ensure they are more transparent about what is being provided, the UK Government has announced.

Senior Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden said the rules will be changed to bring them in line with what shadow ministers and backbench MPs must declare, as he described the current requirements as a “Tory loophole”.

Under the current arrangements, introduced by David Cameron in 2015, details of hospitality received by ministers in their ministerial capacity are published by departments.

But the information is released quarterly and does not include the value of the hospitality. MPs’ and shadow ministers’ interests must be declared within 28 days, are published fortnightly and include the cost of the hospitality.

Mr McFadden told the BBC: “This was a Tory loophole, brought in so that you would have an event where the Tory minister, as it was under the last government, there, the Labour shadow opposite number would also be there, and the Tory minister would not have to declare.

“That was the Tory rules, we don’t think that’s fair, so we will close that loophole so ministers and shadow ministers are treated the same going forward.”

James Bond film

Government sources pointed to examples such as Dame Priti Patel accepting tickets to the premiere of a James Bond film from the Jamaica Tourist Board, but only including this in her ministerial declarations, claiming it was linked to her then role as home secretary.

The tickets were only revealed five months after she accepted them, and with no value attached.

A Government source said: “Keir Starmer is committed to restoring trust in politics.

“That’s why when you see the next edition of the ministerial code it will close the Tory declaration loophole, because this Government is committed to being more upfront and open than our predecessors.”

Hospitality

But former Tory minister Penny Mordaunt told the BBC that Mr McFadden’s comments were “completely untrue”, saying: “He clearly doesn’t understand the ministerial code at all, the onus on ministers is much more stringent and I as a minister reported monthly on my hospitality.

“In 12 weeks, the Labour Government has brought doubt to the economy, fear to the elderly and, I’m afraid, a touch of Imelda Marcos to the office of Prime Minister.”

The announcement, previously hinted at by Commons Leader Lucy Powell, comes amid an ongoing row about gifts accepted by Sir Keir Starmer and other senior Labour figures while in opposition.

Senior Labour MPs have declared tens of thousands of pounds worth of gifts and hospitality in their registers of interests over the past year, much of it coming from major party donor Lord Waheed Alli.

Two-tier system

Transparency International UK welcomed the Government’s proposal to change the rules on how ministers have to declare hospitality they have received.

Rose Whiffen, senior research officer at the campaign group, said: “We welcome this move to end the two tier system that has meant ministers, those closest to power, are able to provide less information on their hospitality and provide it less frequently than their backbench colleagues.

“Additionally to show his commitment to improving trust, the prime minister should issue his ministerial code with promised changes to strengthen the independent adviser’s role as well as the Nolan principles featuring front and centre in the foreword.”