Summer may be the time MPs head back to their constituencies, though that hasn’t stopped many members attending the social events of the season on all expenses-paid freebie tickets. The latest update to the Members’ Register of Interests has revealed our parliamentarians have been enjoying Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, the Chelsea Flower Show, the Pet Shop Boys and plenty of football among other events. Here are some of the more interesting examples…
Social events aside, some MPs have been generating eye-watering sums on the international circuit, namely Suella Braverman. She netted £56,171 for ‘speaking engagements’ in South Korea, expensing £27,801 for a four-night trip to Israel with her husband. At least she has her speeches to fall back on since she crashed out of the Tory leadership race…
Tom Baldwin, author of Starmer’s hagiography, spoke to Times Radio:
Tom Baldwin: “I think he’d like to do something. He’s very dutiful and driven by service. That’s why he came into politics. I think that’s characterised his time as prime minister. He hasn’t always sought popularity or been good at being popular. But I think he has some of the necessary qualities that we actually do want in a prime minister. That resilience, that relentlessness, that ability to carry the weight and the job really does weigh very heavily on people and he carries that weight very, very well.”
Jo Coburn: “NATO Secretary-General?”
Tom Baldwin: “I think that’s something that he would be interested in. I think it probably requires Andy Burnham’s government to support him in that and these are some of the questions which Andy Burnham has to resolve quite quickly.”