MPs across the United Kingdom have disclosed their financial interests for the start of the new Parliament with Essex MPs claiming free horse racing, Grand Prix and festival tickets as well as sizeable donations.
Pam Cox, the Labour MP for Colchester, received £5,000 from Andrew Phillips and £15,000 from Gary Lubner, as support linked to being an MP.
It was also revealed that Ms Cox received £7,108.75 a month in her work as a professor at Essex University and £631.38 per month as a Colchester councillor.
A spokesman for Pam Cox said: “Pam remains a councillor and will continue to fulfil her duties as such but is not claiming her councillor allowance on the basis that taxpayers are already paying her MP salary.
“Pam has resigned her role at the University of Essex following the election and will therefore not be paid following her notice period. Pam was able to take 'public service leave' in order to fulfil her duties as a councillor while she was employed.
Sir John Whittingdale, the Conservative MP for Maldon, received £5,000 from Alexander Temerko for his “Election Campaign Fighting Fund”.
In 2019, Mr Whittingdale received a donation to his election campaign of £8,000 from Mr Temerko through his company, Aquin, but denied claims he received money from a Russian donor.
He said Mr Temerko is, in fact a British citizen who was born in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic in the 1960s, as well as being a critic of Vladimir Putin.
Mr Whittingdale also received two tickets at the Coronation Cup polo match, valued at £710, two tickets with hospitality to the BAFTA EE Film Awards from Channel Four, valued at £3,160, and two tickets with hospitality to the BRIT Awards, valued at £3,000.
He also received two tickets to the Dublin Racing Festival from the Betting and Gaming Council, including flights and accommodation worth a probable £1,290.
Mr Whittingdale was also given two tickets by the Qatar Ministry of Sports and and the Embassy of the State of Qatar to the Qatar Goodwood Festival 2023, valued at £600, including hospitality and accommodation,
Mr Whittingdale said: “I have three times served as either a Minister or Secretary of State in the Department of Culture, Media and Sport with responsibility for horse racing and gambling, media and the creative industries, including the film and music industries.
“I continue to work with those industries and have therefore frequently attended events organised by them which I have declared in the Register of Members' Interests.”
Dame Priti Patel, the MP for Witham, received £5,000 from Maurizio Bragagni and £10,000 from Paul Hunt as support linked to being an MP.
Ms Patel was also given two tickets with hospitality valued at £700 by Epsom Downs Racecourse to attend the Epsom Derby.
She also received two tickets with hospitality to attend the Legends Suite at Silverstone for the British Grand Prix valued at £3,300.
A spokesman for Dame Priti said: “All declarations made are in accordance with Parliamentary rules.”
James Cleverly, the MP for Braintree, declared an interest as an officer in the Reserves but received no payments since his election.
Sir Bernard Jenkin, MP for Harwich and North Essex, declared an interest writing for Diplomat Magazine, earning £975 in total for eight hours of work from November to April.
Sir Bernard received a donation of £2,000 from Andrew Ross-Skinner, £2,500 from Chris Fenwick, £4,000 from Britt Shaw, £3,500 from Adrian Johnson, and £5,000 from David Halsall for his “re-election fighting fund”.
Britt Shaw donated venue hire and food, valued at £4,800, while Finito Education Ltd, based in Cavendish Square, donated a private dining room of a London hotel, value £4,818.50, both for Sir Bernard’s election fund.
This means Sir Bernard received a total of £26,618.50, including venue hires and food, for his election fund.
Mr Jenkin was also donated "a day’s shooting" by Richard Matthews, worth about £500.
In response to this article, Sir Bernard said: "Richard Matthews is a friend, but also a constituent, so I declare his kind hospitality.
"And this was published long before the election."
Nigel Farage, the MP for Clacton, earns almost £1.2m a year from his monthly £97,928 salary for being a GB News presenter.
In addition to his work with GB News, Mr Farage received £16,597.22 from the paid video app Cameo and £4,000 for writing articles for the Telegraph.
In his declaration of gifts, the Reform leader lists two ringside tickets to a boxing match between Derek Chisora and Joe Joyce, valued at £2,000.
In total Mr Farage received £2,920 worth of gifts from UK sources and £9,286 from gifts from outside of the UK - the latter including a trip to the USA "to support a friend who was almost killed and to represent Clacton on the world stage".
At the start of the new Parliament, MPs have one month to make their first registration and after that MPs must register within 28 days any interest which someone might "reasonably consider to influence their actions or words as an MP".
The MPs' Code of Conduct says: “Members shall fulfil conscientiously the requirements of the House in respect of the registration of interests in the Register of Members' Financial Interests.”
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