The housing minister has stated that accepting complimentary concert tickets is “not suitable,” in what appears to be a subtle critique of Chancellor Rachel Reeves, who had received tickets to watch Sabrina Carpenter.
Matthew Pennycook, the MP for Greenwich and Woolwich, whose constituency includes the O2 Arena, has revealed that he has not accepted any free tickets. When asked about Reeves’s decision to accept tickets for the Espresso pop star, he replied, “I believe that decision is up to individual MPs.”
However, when quizzed by LBC on why he wouldn’t accept tickets at his own constituency’s venue, Pennycook responded, “Personally, I don’t think it’s suitable. If I am to attend a concert at the O2, I shall pay for it. It’s up to each individual MP or minister to decide their actions.”
“The critical factor is that all transactions are transparent, allowing people to determine if they believe it’s suitable for tickets to be accepted on such occasions. Personally, I have refrained from accepting such offers at the O2, and I don’t intend to do so in the future,” Pennycook added.
According to the MPs’ register of interests published on Friday, the tickets accepted by Reeves were priced at £600.
Several other MPs have recently accepted hospitality, including three who received free tickets for Cheltenham races, with the shadow environment secretary, Victoria Atkins, recording £450 in tickets.
Caroline Dinenage, a Conservative MP, declared over £2,000 worth of Brit Awards tickets. Similarly, Labour MP Patrick Hurley declared tickets worth over £3,000, while Conservative MP Nusrat Ghani’s hospitality was valued at £1,400.
Oliver Dowden, a Conservative MP and former deputy prime minister, declared a £12,000 trip to San Diego to watch a football match, courtesy of Tory donor Mohamed Mansour, who is a former Egyptian government minister.
Downing Street downplayed Pennycook’s comments, stating that he was speaking on his own behalf.
His comments represent the second veiled criticism of Reeves, following remarks by Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander, who claims she is too busy to accept freebies. Alexander explained that due to her busy schedule, spending time with her family is a more appealing option.
On Sunday, Reeves told the BBC that she accepted the concert hospitality for security reasons. “Due to my security, it’s not as easy now to attend a concert as it was previously,” she explained. She maintained that it was the “right decision from a security viewpoint,” and that the value of the tickets would be declared. However, she clarified that the accepted hospitality seats were not for sale to the public. “These were not tickets that one could purchase,” Reeves stated.
Keir Starmer has also defended taking Arsenal hospitality tickets, citing security as the reason he couldn’t use his old season ticket seats.
Number 10 supports Reeves’s decision to accept the tickets, emphasizing that ministers are entitled to make their own judgments in accordance with the ministerial code. A spokesperson said, “The prime minister supports all of his ministers in making their own judgments in relation to these matters as per the ministerial code.”
