What gifts can MPs and ministers accept from donors?

Can MPs accept gifts from donors?

Yes. MPs can accept gifts from donors but have to declare these – along with any other financial interests that might reasonably be thought to influence their actions, speeches or votes in parliament – on the register of MPs’ interests. The MPs’ code of conduct mentions event and travel tickets, meals and accommodation, clothing, club subscriptions, loans and discount cards as examples of gifts, but this is not an exhaustive list.

MPs can only receive gifts worth over £500 from a ‘permissible source’ – that is, from individuals on a UK electoral register, UK-registered companies and some UK-registered organisations. They cannot accept gifts worth over £500 from foreign individuals or companies registered outside the UK, except in the case of overseas travel.

What gifts do MPs have to declare?

MPs declare any gifts or benefits above £300 in value if they are received in their capacity as an MP. They must also register any gift received by third parties – such as family members – if the gift was given because of their status as an MP.

MPs are required to report the name and address of the donor, the value of the gift and the dates of receipt and acceptance within 28 days of receiving it. The register of interests is usually published fortnightly when the Commons is sitting.

Are the rules different for ministers?

The prime minister usually updates the ministerial code at the start of a new administration, though Keir Starmer is yet to publish a new version since taking office in July. Recent versions of the code have stated that ministers should not accept gifts or hospitality that place – or appear to place – them under an obligation or compromise their judgement. 

If a minister accepts a gift in that capacity – that is, rather than as an MP – they do not need to decare this in the register of MPs’ interests. Instead, departments are required to publish details of gifts worth over £140 and hospitality received by their ministers. This rule extends to gifts offered to ministers’ family members. Ministers can keep gifts worth up to £140 and do not have to declare them – if the gift is of higher value, they can choose to pay the difference between the value and £140 to purchase it, or to hand it over to the department.

Details of ministerial gifts and hospitality is published less frequently than the MPs list: this should be done quarterly, though in practice this data is often published late and with limited detail. Under Rishi Sunak’s government, the Cabinet Office considered moving away from a quarterly to a monthly cycle, to better align with the register of MPs’ interests.

Ministers’ transparency data does not currently include the value of hospitality they receive – for instance, Boris Johnson did not have to declare the value of a free holiday he received in 2021 because he recorded it in his capacity as a minister rather than as an MP. ¹³ Walker P, ‘Johnson will not declare Spanish holiday in MPs’ register, says No 10’, The Guardian, 5 November 2021, retrieved 30 September 2024 www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/nov/05/boris-johnson-will-not-declare-spanish-holiday-in-mps-register-says-no-10.  In September 2024 the Labour government announced that ministers will have to declare gifts and hospitality on the register of MPs’ interests, even if it is received in their capacity as a minister. ¹⁴ Paul Sneddon, ‘Labour to tighten ministerial hospitality rules’, BBC News, 29 September 2024, retrieved 30 September 2024, www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czj9m379jg7o.

Are there equivalent rules for local government and the civil service?

Yes, but with some variation. The rules for councillors vary by local authority, but the Local Government Association’s model councillor code of conduct states that “the presumption should always be not to accept significant gifts or hospitality” and that they should not accept any gift “which could give rise to real or substantive personal gain” or could lead to a conflict of interest. It also recommends that councillors should have to register gifts and hospitality worth £50 or more. ¹⁵ Local Government Association, Local government association model councillor code of conduct 2020, 17 May 2021, retrieved 30 September 2024, www.local.gov.uk/publications/local-government-association-model-councillor-code-conduct-2020.

The Civil Service Code states that officials must not accept gifts, hospitality, or other benefits that might reasonably be seen to compromise their personal judgement or integrity. Cabinet Office guidance sets out that officials should consider if accepting a gift is proportional, in the interests of government objectives, and does not create a conflict of interest. ¹⁶ Comptroller and Auditor General, Investigation into the acceptance of gifts and hospitality, Session 2015, HC 797, National Audit Office, 2016, www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Investigation-into-the-acceptance-of-gifts-and-hospitality.pdf, p. 10