Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, recently accepted complimentary tickets to enjoy a corporate box at Sabrina Carpenter’s concert at the O2 arena last weekend, as reported by The i Paper. Tickets for Carpenter’s concert were reportedly changing hands for between £475 and £900 each, exclusive of food and drink. While there are no allegations that Reeves has violated any regulations, her attendance at the high-profile event could reignite debates surrounding the appropriateness of ministers accepting free hospitality.
Reeves attended the sold-out concert while her colleague, Work and Pensions Committee chair Debbie Abrahams, was reaching out to Labour MPs to rally opposition against the government’s planned £6 billion cuts to welfare benefits, which are anticipated to be announced imminently. This timing coincided with rising concerns among Cabinet members regarding funding reductions that the Chancellor is expected to propose in the upcoming spending review this June. Additionally, Reeves faced setbacks following an unexpected decline in the economy just ahead of the Spring Statement scheduled for March 26.
Last year, a total of seven Cabinet ministers, including Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, received tickets to attend pop sensation Taylor Swift’s tour, with 14 Labour MPs benefiting from free tickets collectively valued at £23,328, many of which included expensive hospitality packages. Amid public backlash, Cabinet ministers defended their acceptance of these complimentary tickets, asserting that they were fully declared.
Reeves is expected to contend that no business or lobbying activities occurred during her time at the concert, although it remains uncertain whether lobbyists were present in the same corporate box. Reports indicate that she received security advice advising against attending the general admission areas of the venue. Starmer has similarly been spotted in a corporate box at his favored Arsenal games since assuming the role of Prime Minister, though he had already purchased a season ticket.
However, the Chancellor’s use of complimentary tickets for the Carpenter concert has raised eyebrows within industry circles and drawn criticism from Labour MPs who oppose welfare cuts. The O2 arena, along with the corporate box utilized by Reeves, is owned by AEG, a former client of the lobbying firm FTI Consulting. According to an official register, FTI Consulting’s clientele has included various sectors such as tobacco and vaping company JTI, North Sea oil and gas operator Ithaca Energy, and prominent banks like HSBC and Lloyds. Sources within the lobbying industry have indicated that the box is occasionally used by FTI Consulting, although it remains unclear if any representatives from the firm attended this particular event.
“After the uproar surrounding the Taylor Swift tickets last year, most individuals in the industry are hesitant to offer such tickets anymore,” remarked a source. “The sentiment has shifted.” Labour MP Rachael Maskell, a prominent voice against benefit cuts, expressed her dismay to The i Paper: “I believed this matter had been resolved, and that ministers would refrain from accepting free hospitality for personal gain. To learn of a recurrence, if indeed it transpired, is profoundly concerning, particularly at a time when numerous disabled individuals are anxiously anticipating potential reductions to their essential support under the ‘Get Britain Working’ reforms.”
A spokesperson from the Treasury affirmed: “All declarations will be made in the usual manner.” AEG responded by stating, “As standard practice in the events industry, AEG frequently offers tickets to partners and clients, including local authorities and community organizations, at their discretion. AEG has not collaborated with FTI for over a year and maintains no arrangements for the use of our hospitality or event tickets in exchange for services. Moreover, there was neither a fee nor a commercial relationship regarding the Chancellor’s recent attendance at The O2.” FTI Consulting declined to comment.
The Freebies Controversy Explained
Sir Keir Starmer faced significant criticism in September of the previous year after it emerged that he had initially failed to declare clothing gifts valued at £5,000 for his wife, Victoria, from Labour donor Lord Waheed Alli. Starmer himself accepted gifts related to clothing, including glasses worth £2,435. This followed revelations that Alli had been granted a pass offering him unrestricted access to Downing Street, raising allegations of cronyism. This controversy led to increased scrutiny regarding the gifts accepted by Starmer and his shadow cabinet while in opposition, with reports indicating that Starmer had received a total of £107,145 in gifts, tickets, and hospitality since the 2019 election.
As the Labour conference approached, overshadowed by this controversy, Starmer, Rachel Reeves, and Angela Rayner announced they would no longer accept clothing gifts. Concurrently, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson was found to have accepted a birthday gift from Alli worth £14,000, which she claimed was used “to bring people together in a professional context” and had been declared. Starmer also acknowledged accepting accommodation valued at £20,000 from Alli between May and July, explaining that it was intended to provide his son with a conducive environment for studying for his GCSEs.
In October, the spotlight fell on ministers who had received free tickets to see Taylor Swift after reports indicated that the Met Police’s Special Escort Group had been assigned to the pop star during her Eras Tour. It was alleged that Labour figures had received £20,000 in complimentary tickets, prompting accusations from Conservatives that ministers were offering security in exchange for hospitality. Starmer and other ministers maintained that accepting gifts has long been an established aspect of political life, asserting that no rules were broken, and No 10 confirmed that Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards Daniel Greenberg would not launch an investigation.
