Welsh Labour MP made £7,000 worth of trips in first year in government

A Labour MP for a south-east Wales constituency visited eleven countries in his first year in government at a cost of at least £7,000. 

In the days after Labour swept to power in the July 2024 General Election, Torfaen’s MP Nick Thomas-Symonds made foreign jaunts on consecutive days within 24 hours of him being appointed paymaster general and minister in the Cabinet Office

Just a day after being appointed to the cabinet Mr Thomas-Symonds was sent on a Eurostar train to Belgium where he was told to “engage” with officials within the European Union’s institutions, “demonstrating the new Government’s changed approach to EU/UK relations”. 

The following day, on July 9, 2024, Mr Thomas-Symonds was summoned to accompany new Prime Minister Sir Kier Starmer to the NATO summit in Washington DC, flying on the UK Government’s official jet G-GBNI. 

At the time Mr Thomas-Symonds posted a photograph of himself, in a pristine white buttoned up shirt and tie, working during the flight. 

The prime minister was accompanied by his wife, former Cardiff University student Victoria, for the three day visit but Mr Thomas-Symonds hasn’t been joined by his wife on any of his official trips. 

The Torfaen MP travelled to Washington, for the meeting hosted by then US President Joe Biden, in his role as minister responsible for relations with the EU and was able to meet counterparts from across Europe while in the US capital. 

The importance of Britain’s relationship with the EU is underlined by Mr Thomas-Symonds’ travel itinerary with his most visited destination being Brussels. He has made seven trips to the Belgian capital and home of the powerful EU commission in the period from July 2024 to the end of June this year.  

All visits to Brussels were made by Eurostar train including one in October 2024 when Mr Thomas-Symonds got to sit with the Prime Minister as they headed for talks with EU leaders on what the government calls the “UK/EU Reset”. 

By contrast he has been just once to the primary location of the democratically elected European Parliament in Strasbourg, France though did give a speech at the UK-EU Parliamentary Partnership Assembly and also meet with EU counterparts in Brussels in March this year. 

He flew to France on October 21, 2024 for an overnight stay and meeting with “key parliamentarians from the European Parliament” and Slovak diplomat Maroš Šefčovič who is the EU Commissioner responsible for talks with the UK. 

The Blaenavon born MP had met Mr Šefčovič, for their first face to face meeting, that July in Brussels when he made his second official visit to Belgium just three days after returning from Washington DC. 

‘Mr Fixit’

Mr Thomas-Symonds was so pleased to meet the high-ranking diplomat, who Irish broadcaster RTE has reported is dubbed ‘Mr Fixit’ in Brussels for his handling of Brexit negotiation, he posted a photograph, to X, of them sat facing each other on opposing sofas. 

Frequent traveller Mr Thomas-Symonds had also visited Germany’s capital Berlin and Bulgarian capital Sofia to discuss access to eGates for UK nationals in June this year. 

All details are taken from Cabinet Office ministers’ transparency publications which give the mode of transport used, the cost of flights or train tickets and any additional costs such as visas, accommodation and meals. 

There is also a specific column for “accompanied by spouse/partner at public expense” in which it is stated “No” for every trip made by Mr Thomas-Symonds from Labour coming to power, in July 2024, to the end of June 2025. 

‘Crucial negotiations’ 

Details of trips undertaken since June haven’t yet been released, but the MP’s X account shows in the past six months he has travelled, on government business, to Dublin ahead of Ireland taking over the EU Presidency, a further trip to Brussels to meet Mr Šefčovič who described Mr Thomas-Symonds as “a friend”, and a trip to Bruges as well as Cyprus. 

Mr Thomas-Symonds’ travel and associated costs are shown to have cost at least £7,191.21 but the Cabinet Office figures don’t include the July 2024 trip to Washington DC, on the government jet, or the European Political Community meeting in Budapest, Hungary in November last year as the flight was on a RAF plane. Costs were declared by Number 10. 

A spokesperson for the Torfaen MP said: “Nick Thomas-Symonds is the Minister for EU Relations and so regularly travels to do his job.  

“This currently involves crucial negotiations with Brussels and other European capitals ranging from a food and drink deal that will cut red tape for businesses and help bring down food prices, to improved judicial cooperation and information sharing to tackle illegal migration. 

“His travel plans always balance efficiency and cost-effectiveness for the taxpayer.” 

Where in the world has Nick Thomas-Symonds been? 

2025

• June 16-17: Berlin; Germany, Sofia; Bulgaria to meet with key interlocuters in German and Bulgarian governments and discuss access to eGates for UK nationals. £656.48
• June 11-12: Prague; Czech Republic to meet with key interlocuters in Czech government and speak at the Globsec Conference. £295.43
• April 6-8:  Warsaw; Poland to meet key interlocuteurs in the Polish government and undertake visits related to UK/EU and UK/Polish security cooperation. Total cost: £473.97
• March 30-31: Stockholm; Sweden to meet  a range of Swedish stakeholders to discuss the UK/EU reset. £323
• March 17-18: Brussels; Belgium to give a speech at the UK-EU Parliamentary Partnership Assembly and meet with EU counterparts. £1,030 
• February 3-5: Brussels; Belgium to give a speech at UK-EU Forum, meet representatives from the devolved governments’ Brussels offices, and participate in two roundtables with businesses. £417

2024

• November 27-28: Rome; Italy to attend the Pontignano Conference. £326.69
• November 26-27: Brussels; Belgium to engage with EU Commission representatives on the UK/EU reset. £177
• November 6-7: Budapest; Hungary accompanying the Prime Minister at the European Political Community. Costs declared by Number 10.
• October 21-22: Strasbourg; France meeting with key parliamentarians from the European Parliament and Maroš Šefčovič.  £236
• October 3: Dublin, Ireland engaging with Irish counterparts on the UK/EU reset alongside the Foreign Secretary. 
• October 2: Brussels; Belgium  accompanying the Prime Minister for talks with EU leaders on the UK/EU Reset. £512
• September 30: Brussels; Belgium accompanying the PM on an official trip to to meet his European counterparts. £438
• July 15: Brussels; Belgium to meet meet key interloculars from EU institutions to discuss the EU-UK reset. £448
• July 9-12: Washington D.C; USA NATO summit. Costs declared by Number 10.
• July 8: Brussels; Belgium to engage with officials within the EU institutions demonstrating the new government’s changed approach to EU/UK relations. £564.