Keir Starmer uses Arsenal hospitality 'for work reasons', says Labour MP

19 September 2024, 21:05

Labour MP claims Keir Starmer uses Arsenal hospitality 'for work reasons'

Keir Starmer uses Arsenal hospitality 'for work reasons', a Labour MP has said.

Speaking to LBC's Tom Swarbrick, Labour MP Gareth Thomas said work conversations do take place in hospitality settings.

It comes after Keir Starmer said it is "common sense" for him to accept corporate hospitality from Arsenal football club.

Figures showed that the PM had accepted trips, events and gifts worth more than £100,000 since 2019 - including £12,588 worth of Premier League tickets.

He has also been given use of a corporate box by Arsenal, which Sir Keir said was because security costs would be disproportionate if he remained in the stands.

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Mr Thomas echoed Sir Keir's response, saying security concerns were part of the reason he watched games from a box.

"The Prime Minister is under huge, huge pressure in terms of the need to meet and engage with a whole range of business leaders and other community leaders," he said.

"And there are often a range of security concerns that limit his ability to do so.

"So hospitality invitations are often a way to do it."

He continued: "Good conversation, work conversations, do take place in those hospitality settings.

"I don’t know who goes with Mr Starmer to those meetings and I wouldn’t expect to know but what I would say is you do need to engage with a whole variety of people if you're the Prime Minister or indeed if you're a very senior minister too.

"And that’s why hospitality invitations do get accepted."