It’s tough at the top in Westminster. You’ve climbed the greasy pole in British politics only to be buried in red boxes, urgent questions and endless morning media rounds. But there are some perks to being a government frontbencher: as the latest release of ministerial gifts makes clear. Released just before the current recess, they shed some light on the tastes of Boris Johnson’s top team.
The ministerial code states that ministers are allowed to keep only gifts below the value of £140, unless they pay their value above that sum. So when they dig into their own pockets to keep one, a picture of their tastes begins to emerge. Johnson, for instance, was given 10 gifts between October to December last year, including wine and a leather handbag for Carrie from Mario Draghi, Italy’s Prime Minister. Other items include a wooden bicycle from his Japanese counterpart and a glass bowl from Joe Biden.
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