Sue Gray’s hospitality tickets to Spurs matches spark concerns
Critics question PM's impartiality over Sue Gray's Spurs hospitality tickets
Sue Gray has reportedly enjoyed hospitality tickets worth hundreds of pounds to various football matches. The Prime Minister’s chief of staff attended the North London derby at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in April and another Premier League match at the same venue a month earlier. These details emerged from a report by the Daily Telegraph.
The Mail on Sunday previously revealed that Ms Gray, Sir Keir Starmer, and Foreign Secretary David Lammy shared corporate hospitality at Tottenham Hotspur during the team’s 1-0 defeat to Arsenal last month.
According to the Telegraph, Ms Gray first accepted matchday hospitality from Tottenham Hotspur during the club’s 3-1 victory over Crystal Palace in March. She later attended a match where Spurs lost 3-2 to Arsenal at the same stadium in April, bringing her total number of hospitality days at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to at least three.
Critics argue that these invitations jeopardise the PM’s impartiality regarding the proposed football regulator, which could prevent teams from joining breakaway leagues and block investments from controversial countries. In addition, Ms Gray attended the Braemar Summit in the Scottish Highlands for two days in September last year, shortly after becoming Sir Keir’s chief of staff. The event, known as ‘McDavos’, is a networking summit.
This comes amid increasing controversy over freebies linked to Sir Keir’s administration. On Friday, it was disclosed that the PM accepted £32,000 worth of clothing donations from Labour peer Lord Alli, double the amount previously declared. On Sunday, it was revealed that a second central London property owned by Lord Alli was available to the PM and other senior party members before the election.
The Georgian townhouse in Soho served as a venue for strategy meetings, while the PM and his family stayed in a nearby £18 million townhouse in Covent Garden, also owned by the peer, during the election.
The scandal led to the resignation of now-independent MP Rosie Duffield on Saturday. She criticised the ‘sleaze, nepotism and apparent avarice’ of Sir Keir’s administration.
Since becoming Labour leader, the PM has received more freebies than any other MP, totalling £107,145 since 2019. These include tickets to numerous football matches and concerts.
What Other Media Are Saying
- Express highlights Sir Keir Starmer and Sue Gray attending a Spurs match on free tickets, sparking controversy over potential lobbying and conflicts of interest in football governance.(read more)
- The London Economic reports that Lee Anderson, an MP, is criticized for hypocrisy over free football tickets, as he condemns Sir Keir Starmer’s similar acceptance of hospitality.(read more)
- The Telegraph reports Sue Gray, Labour’s chief of staff, received Premier League hospitality tickets and a free trip, amid growing scrutiny over Labour’s acceptance of gifts and donations.(read more)
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some common questions asked about this news
What hospitality tickets did Sue Gray reportedly receive?
Sue Gray received hospitality tickets to several football matches, including the North London derby and a Premier League fixture.
Why are critics concerned about Sue Gray’s hospitality tickets?
Critics say the invites threaten the PM’s impartiality over the planned football regulator.
What other events did Sue Gray attend besides football matches?
Sue Gray attended the Braemar Summit in the Scottish Highlands in September last year.
How much has the PM accepted in clothing donations from Lord Alli?
The PM has accepted £32,000-worth of clothing donations from Labour peer Lord Alli.
Why did MP Rosie Duffield resign?
Rosie Duffield resigned over the ‘sleaze, nepotism and apparent avarice’ of Sir Keir’s administration.
