Kemi Badenoch defends MPs taking 'freebies' as way to spend time with family

Tory leadership contender Kemi Badenoch has defended MPs taking freebie tickets to events, saying it allows them to spend time with their families.

The Conservatives have accused Labour of being "a government of self-service" and "living the high life" since details emerged of donations to senior figures in the party - including tickets for Sir Keir Starmer to watch football matches and see Taylor Swift in concert.

But while Ms Badenoch accused the new government of "hypocrisy" for taking donations, she also stood by her own register of interests that shows she had taken tickets and hospitality for a rugby game, the Jingle Bell Ball concert, and Ed Sheeran.

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Speaking to Times Radio, the shadow housing secretary said: "What many people don't see is the school sports days that I miss or my children are crying, as they were this weekend, because I had to go to hustings, a lot of the constituency functions, which you do, which means that you actually miss out on time with your family.

"So if someone says, 'well, you can do some work and we can have a chat and you get time to spend with your family', [and] it's something that they probably wouldn't be able to do normally, you say yes to it."

Asked why she didn't pay for the tickets - donated to her by the Rugby Football Union, Global Media and Entertainment Ltd, and The Football Association Premier League Ltd - herself, Ms Badenoch said: "Well, then why would I have that meeting [with those organisations]?

"It's just... it's one of those things where people are basically, they're asking you to work and providing some fun around the work."

But the former minister insisted her party's criticism of the new Labour government was fair "because they were taking these freebies not to do their job".

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She said: "It is about hypocrisy. They are being criticised for being hypocrites. They criticised Boris Johnson for putting wallpaper in a public property in Number 10. That is why they are getting criticised.

"All of these activities, quite frankly, are things that people know about, they see us at these events. You know who else is with us at all these events? It is BBC journalists, it is a lot of the media. They aren't freebies as such, they are events you get invited to."

Ms Badenoch added: "Asking us to pay for these things, I think, rather than showing what it is we are doing and why, is missing the point. It is about hypocrisy."

Speaking to Sky News on Monday, Chancellor Rachel Reeves insisted her and her government had stuck to the rules.

But she added: "​​I do get people's concerns about it. It's why I think it's so important that politicians are always transparent and declare things that they get support with.

"I don't begrudge people going to watch a football match or going to a concert. But I think it is so important that things are done transparently and that now, in government, we hold ourselves to the highest possible standards."

(c) Sky News 2024: Kemi Badenoch defends MPs taking 'freebies' as way to spend time with family