A LABOUR minister today slammed Rachel Reeves over her “inappropriate” freebie grabs.
People are upset that the Chancellor accepted complimentary tickets to see Sabrina Carpenter and the National Theatre. Matthew Pennycook criticized the decision, saying it was not fitting for a Cabinet member.
The Housing Minister told LBC: “I don’t personally think it’s appropriate.
“If I want to go to a concert at the O2 I’ll pay for it.
“But individual MPs, individual ministers make their own decisions.”
He emphasized the importance of transparency, stating that all gifts should be declared openly so that individuals can decide for themselves whether accepting them is appropriate.
“I personally haven’t done, as I said, at the O2, and wouldn’t do.”
On Sunday Ms Reeves defended accepting free tickets to the Espresso star’s gig, claiming it was for security reasons.
The Chancellor said she went to the O2 Arena concert with a family member and insisted it was “the right thing to do” given her security needs.
In response to the backlash, the Chancellor explained to the BBC that she now has security measures in place, making it more complicated to attend events like concerts compared to before, although it may actually be more convenient for everyone involved.
“So look, I took those tickets to go with a member of my family.
“I think that was the right thing to do from a security aspect.”
Asked whether she paid for the tickets, Ms Reeves said: “These weren’t tickets that you could pay for, so there wasn’t a price.
“Obviously there was a price, but they weren’t tickets you were able to buy.”
Reports of Ms Reeves’ enjoyment of corporate hospitality earlier this month, said to have been provided by AEG, sparked a backlash from Labour MPs unhappy with welfare cuts.
It also comes after Labour faced growing scrutiny over ministers accepting freebies – with Sir Keir Starmer and other Cabinet figures previously blasted for taking Taylor Swift tickets and luxury gifts.
The Chancellor is paid £158,851 per year.
She previously vowed shw would not accept clothing from donors after it was that she had received £7,500 worth of clothes in opposition, paid for by Labour’s Lord Ali.
This morning Tory leader Kemi Badenoch took a dig at Ms Reeves as she revealed she hasn’t accepted any freebie tickets to gigs in her role.
Asked if she has accepted any gifts as opposition chief, Ms Badenoch told TalkTV: “For things like concerts and so on, no not really.
“I get donations to help me with my job.
“So people give money and I can use it to pay for things, like transport, hiring other people, services and so on.”
