A Starmer authorities minister says she has been too busy for the reason that common election to just accept live performance tickets amid an ongoing row over Rachel Reeves going to a Sabrina Carpenter present without spending a dime.
Transport secretary Heidi Alexander’s feedback add to strain piling on the chancellor, who has confronted days of criticism for accepting the freebie gig tickets, saying that she a “very busy diary”.
“I haven’t taken any tickets to be honest since I was elected back in June as a new member of parliament and going straight into the Ministry of Justice and then coming straight into the Department for Transport, Ms Alexander told Times Radio. “I actually sadly haven’t been to see any concerts at all over the last nine months, partly because I’ve been very very busy.
“I have never, as a member of parliament, I have never accepted tickets to any concerts or anything like that.”
Asked whether or not she wouldn’t settle for tickets as a result of she feels it’s not the fitting factor to do, Ms Alexander added: “Partly because I’ve got a very busy diary and I’ve got to prioritise my time and, you know, when I’ve got time off, actually spending some time with my family and my husband is actually a more attractive option to me if I’m honest.”
Her remarks come after Ms Reeves defended her decision to accept the tickets to the O2 Arena show from a “security perspective” as she prepares to unveil billions of kilos of cuts to public spending.
Ms Reeves told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme she and a family member went to see the American singer “a couple of weeks ago”. She said the tickets “weren’t tickets that you were able to buy”.
“I do now have security, which means it’s not as easy as it would have been in the past to just sit in a concert, although that would probably be a lot easier for everyone concerned,” she said.
“So, look, I took those tickets to go with a member of my family. I thought that was the right thing to do from a security perspective.”
Sir Keir Starmer final yr acquired a number of presents from outstanding Labour donor Lord Alli, together with “multiple pairs of glasses” to the worth of £2,485, “work clothing” value £16,200 and lodging value £20,437.28.
The prime minister later paid again greater than £6,000 value of presents he acquired after coming into Number 10 final yr, together with 4 Taylor Swift tickets from file label Universal Music Group totalling £2,800, two from the Football Association at a value of £598, and 4 to Doncaster races from Arena Racing Corporation at £1,939.
Asked on Monday why Sir Keir had paid again the worth of his tickets however the chancellor wouldn’t be anticipated to repay hers, the prime minister’s official spokesman mentioned it’s “up to ministers to make their own judgments on these matters”.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/reeves-sabrina-carpenter-heidi-alexander-b2720534.html