Do MPs need to get a grip on ‘freebies’?
The IndependentRevelations about “freebies” received by the prime minister and several senior ministers from a single donor, the media and tech entrepreneur Lord Alli, drew widespread public disapproval and overshadowed the start of the Labour Party conference. On the one hand, this looks stricter, as it stipulates that “no minister should accept gifts, hospitality or services from anyone which would, or might appear to place him or her under an obligation”. It remains to be seen whether the revelations about the “freebies” enjoyed by the prime minister and other ministers – and still more the public criticism – will spur new rules for ministers. Any tightening of the rules could face opposition, however, given that Lisa Nandy, the culture secretary, said in a TV interview that “all MPs take gifts and donations in kind.
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