Labour to tighten ministerial hospitality declaration rules

The suggested tweak would not change the type of hospitality ministers can accept, but would change how it has to be declared.

The pledge to increase transparency follows weeks of headlines about clothes, tickets, and accommodation accepted by ministers.

The prime minister, chancellor and deputy prime minister have promised not to accept any more donated clothing, following criticism after it emerged they had received work clothes worth thousands of pounds from donors.

It has emerged that Sir Keir originally declared £16,000 of these clothes as money for his “private office”, which will be recategorised. He also initially failed to declare thousands of pounds in clothes for his wife Victoria.

Sir Keir has also defended staying in Lord Alli’s flat during the election campaign, which he declared as a gift worth £20,000, saying it was to help his son study effectively for his GCSE exams.

The donations have raised questions about the TV executive’s closeness to Sir Keir, but McFadden insisted the Labour peer was not looking to influence the government, adding there was “no policy quid pro quo here”.

He also said it was acceptable for the prime minister to accept free clothes, adding that “presentation” was a part of political campaigning.

The current version of the MPs’ register covers gifts and hospitality received until early August, roughly covering Labour’s first month in power since the party’s landslide election victory in July.

Hospitality received by MPs after this date is yet to be published, with the next update due later this month.

The Labour government is yet to publish its first list of ministers’ interests, with the first version of the document expected later this year.