It’s Jubilee week in London. Boom times for royal hacks mean tough times for their lobby counterparts. Fortunately, today’s publication of the latest edition of the MPs’ register of interests is a godsend for story-starved journalists, scrabbling around to write about something that isn’t about Harry and Meghan.
Perusing the register this morning, Mr S was intrigued to see the name of Channel 4 popping up regularly as a frequent donor to MPs across the House. The public broadcaster has desperately been trying to fight a rearguard action against privatisation in recent months and appears to have launched something of a belated charm offensive to aid that goal. Sadly for the broadcaster, its nearly £11,000 in freebies to eight MPs looks to have been in vain, given Nadine Dorries’ ongoing determination to press ahead with the sale.
Among those enjoying tickets to the BAFTAs and its TV equivalent courtesy of C4 include Jess Phillips, Dehenna Davison and Boris critics Stephen Hammond and Paul Holmes. No less than three of Labour’s shadow culture team – Lucy Powell, Alex Davies-Jones and Chris Elmore – accepted six invites between them. In the Lords Lib Dem peer Don Foster – who sits on a committee currently looking into Channel 4’s future – also accepted an invite to the BAFTAs at the Royal Albert Hall in March from the broadcaster.
Culture is very much something of a theme in today’s update to the register. Not one but three Labour frontbenchers are now under contract to write books about various themes. Sir Keir Starmer is writing one on his vision for Britain, Lisa Nandy has another on local communities while Wes Streeting is writing one about, er, himself. Elsewhere, Angela Rayner has received some 11 dresses worth nearly £1,000 from a Hatfield clothesmaker with Lib Dem leader Ed Davey collecting two cases of wine from one of his Birmingham council candidates. Tory Mims Davies however opted for simpler pleasures: she now volunteers for a retro/dance show on her local community radio station in Mid Sussex.
Labour spokesperson Rosena Allin-Khan meanwhile took another £2,000 donation from a property developer criticised for its previously reported failure to remove dangerous cladding. The gaffe-prone Tooting MP has now received £22,000 in large donations from Henley Homes since January 2020 – including £5,000 for her failed bid to be deputy leader of the party. Her colleague Yvette Cooper meanwhile accepted another £15,847 from MPM Connect Ltd to fund her offices. The company is run by millionaire Peter Hearn – the only donor from which she has accepted money in the past two years.
Sadly the collapse of Amanda Wakeley’s firm means that Theresa May has also now lost her discount card there. The British fashion designer kitted her out in an infamous pair of £995 brown leather trousers back in 2016, with May wearing the brand the first time she went to meet the Queen upon accepting the premiership. Still, her new BA Premier membership will more than likely make up for it – as will her £109,000 speaking engagement fee from the Danish Bar society.
Good to see the former PM’s finances are going strong and stable at least.
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