Lady Starmer, wife of the Labour leader, attended two Taylor Swift concerts at Wembley Stadium this summer, accepting free tickets worth hundreds of pounds each. The first concert on June 21, 2024, was attended with her husband, Sir Keir Starmer, while she attended the second on August 15, 2024, without him.
Several other prominent Labour figures also attended Swift's performances:
- Wes Streeting, Health Secretary
- Bridget Phillipson, Education Secretary
- Lisa Nandy, Culture Secretary
- Darren Jones, Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Jones received four tickets and hospitality worth £3,400 for the August 20 concert. In total, Cabinet ministers accepted over £9,000 worth of Taylor Swift tickets during the summer.
The UK Parliament, established in its current form with 650 elected members, requires MPs to declare gifts and donations within 28 days of receipt. This rule, part of the Register of Members' Financial Interests established in 1974, aims to ensure transparency in potential influences on MPs' actions or words.
While some Labour figures, including Streeting, Jones, and Phillipson, declared their tickets on the register, Lady Starmer's second ticket and Nandy's declaration have not yet appeared. A spokesperson for Nandy stated that her declaration would be listed on the separate register of ministerial interests, updated quarterly.
This situation arises amidst controversy over Lady Starmer's acceptance of £5,000 worth of free clothing, alterations, and personal shopping from Labour donor Lord Alli. Sir Keir only recently declared these gifts, initially believing they did not require registration.
"The August 15th tickets have been declared."
The Labour Party, founded in 1900, finds itself navigating these declaration issues as the UK approaches its next general election, which must be held by January 2025. The scrutiny extends to various government departments, including Health and Social Care (established 1988), Education (current form 2010), and Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (1997).
As the Eras Tour, one of the highest-grossing tours in history, continues to captivate audiences in the 90,000-capacity Wembley Stadium, the acceptance of these high-value tickets by political figures raises questions about transparency and potential conflicts of interest in British politics.