Government ‘trying to meet expectations’ public have about freebies – minister

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Louise Thomas

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The Government is “trying to meet the expectations” the public has of ministers when it comes to freebies, a Cabinet minister has said.

Science and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said “expectations of this Labour Government are so much higher than they were of the previous government”.

It comes after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer paid back more than £6,000 worth of gifts and hospitality he received since entering Number 10 in the summer.

Asked about freebies and the Government’s position, Mr Kyle told Sky News’s Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips programme: “We tried so hard while we had a previous set of leaders in our country, a previous government that was flouting the rules, breaking the rules and lowering standards.”

He added: “We focused so much on the rules, that what we didn’t do – and we now know we have to do – is take what the public are thinking about what happens within the rules. This is something that we didn’t quite see at the time.

“So what we’re trying to do is adapt to what is the expectations, because expectations of this Labour Government are so much higher than they were of the previous government, for understandable reasons.

“And we’re trying to meet the expectations that the public have.”

Pushed again on what ministers would do when it came to accepting gifts such as football tickets, Mr Kyle told the Sky programme: “What Keir Starmer has done is made sure he’s repaid the articles that have happened since the election and we’re also working on a new set of rules, because there’s a separate set of rules at the moment for people who are government ministers from MPs.

“So we’re updating the rules so that it reflects the expectations that we believe the public have post-election.”

Last week, the Prime Minister paid back the cost of some gifts and hospitality he had received since entering Number 10 after facing weeks of criticism over decisions to accept freebies.

Among the items he paid back were four Taylor Swift tickets from Universal Music Group totalling £2,800, two tickets from the Football Association at a cost of £598, and four to Doncaster Races from Arena Racing Corporation at £1,939.

An £839 clothing rental agreement with Edeline Lee, the designer recently worn by his wife to London Fashion Week, along with one hour of hair and makeup, was also covered by the Prime Minister.

On Wednesday, a Downing Street spokesperson said: “The Prime Minister has commissioned a new set of principles on gifts and hospitality to be published as part of the updated ministerial code.

“Ahead of the publication of the new code, the Prime Minister has paid for several entries on his own register. This will appear in the next register of members’ interests.”