A minister has heaped more pressure on Rachel Reeves over her decision to accept free tickets to see Sabrina Carpenter perform at the O2, saying he does not “personally think it’s appropriate”.
The chancellor had faced criticism for attending the show earlier this year ahead of imposing sweeping cuts to spending, including the benefits bill, as she seeks to balance the books – with critics arguing the gifts are an insult to the public during an ongoing cost of living crisis.
The latest saga threatens to reignite the freebies row that engulfed the government last year after a number of cabinet ministers, including the prime minister, accepted tickets to the Taylor Swift Era’s tour, at a total value of more than £23,000.
Asked about the decision to accept the tickets, housing minister Matthew Pennycook 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. I think that the important thing is that everything is declared and above board, so individual people can make their choices as to whether they think it’s appropriate to take tickets on occasions.
“I personally haven’t done, as I said, at the O2, and wouldn’t do.” But, coming to the chancellor’s defence, deputy prime minister Angela Rayner told LBC: “I think it’s totally okay for Rachel to make that decision. She said why she did that, she said it was around security as well. I completely understand her position on that, and she’s declared it in the proper and right way.”
His comments pile further pressure on the chancellor, who has faced days of criticism for accepting the freebie gig tickets.
Downing Street said Mr Pennycook was speaking “on his own behalf” when he took the swipe at Ms Reeves over the concert.
Asked whether Sir Keir Starmer agreed with his minister’s suggestion that it is not “appropriate”, the PM’s official spokesman said: “I think he was speaking on his own behalf, as the ministerial code says it is a matter of individual judgment for each minister concerned.
“What the government has done is strengthen the rules to ensure transparency, to include new principles and to enshrine the seven principles of public life into the code.” It is also understood that Ms Reeves does not plan to pay back the cost of her tickets to the concert.
On Monday, transport secretary Heidi Alexander distanced herself from the chancellor’s decision, suggesting she has been too busy to attend concerts.
“I haven’t taken any tickets, to be honest, since I was elected back in (July) as a new Member of Parliament, and going straight into the Ministry of Justice and then coming straight into the Department for Transport,” Ms Alexander told Times Radio.
“I actually, sadly, haven’t been to see any concerts at all over the last nine months, partly because I’ve been very, very busy.”
She added that she had to “prioritise my time” and being “with my family and my husband is actually a more attractive option to me” during time off.
But on Monday, the prime minister backed his chancellor amid mounting criticism over the decision, with his spokesperson saying he “supports all of his ministers making their own judgments” over hospitality when asked whether she had made the right decision.
Asked whether the prime minister thought it was acceptable for ministers to accept lavish gifts while implementing cuts, his official spokesman said Cabinet members were “personally responsible for deciding how to act”.
Pressed on whether Ms Reeves had made the right decision, he said: “Obviously the prime minister supports all of his ministers making their own judgments in relation to these matters as per the ministerial code.”
Ms Reeves is paid £67,505 as chancellor on top of her £91,346 MP’s salary and previously said she would not accept clothing from donors after revelations that she had received £7,500 worth of clothes in opposition.
She has cited security arrangements as her reason for taking the free tickets, for herself and a family member, and said she would declare their value to parliamentary authorities.
The chancellor told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme she and a family member went to see the American singer “a couple of weeks ago”. She said the tickets “weren’t tickets that you were able to buy”.
“I do now have security, which means it’s not as easy as it would have been in the past to just sit in a concert, although that would probably be a lot easier for everyone concerned,” she said.
“So, look, I took those tickets to go with a member of my family. I thought that was the right thing to do from a security perspective.”
In October, after weeks of criticism for accepting multiple freebies, the prime minister attempted to draw a line under the escalating row by repaying £6,000 for hospitality and gifts he had received since entering Downing Street.
Asked on Monday why Sir Keir had paid back the value of his tickets but the chancellor would not be expected to repay hers, the prime minister’s official spokesman said it is “up to ministers to make their own judgments on these matters”.
Responding to Mr Pennycook’s remarks, Conservative shadow Cabinet office minister Mike Wood said: “This is an extraordinary slap down of the profligate champagne lifestyle Rachel Reeves’ has been enjoying since becoming chancellor.
“When senior Labour ministers are openly criticising her judgement then it’s no surprise business and investors are as well.
“The chancellor must kick her addiction to freebies and focus on undoing the damage she’s doing to family finances in her emergency budget tomorrow.”
