The gifts given to MPs in Somerset - and how much they're worth

Sir Ashley Fox MP
-Credit: (Image: Copyright Unknown)


Members of Parliament have received gifts, benefits and hospitality from UK sources worth a combined total of nearly £2 million since June last year, according to the latest Register of Interests. The Register logs over 446 gifts that have been declared by MPs, and covers a whole range of things from taxi rides to sport tickets, clothing and legal expenses.

The gifts given to the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, have dominated recent headlines. The PM has received 18 gifts since June last year, worth a combined total of £65,978. That’s more gift entries in the latest Register than any other minister.

Three of the gifts are from Lord Alli - Accommodation worth £20,437, work clothing worth £16,200, and multiple pairs of glasses worth £2,485. Another 14 of the Prime Minister’s entries are for tickets to music and sporting events, worth a total of £22,356.

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However it seems that our Somerset MPs have not been recieving many gifts. Only Ashley Fox, the new Conservative MP for Bridgwater appears on the list. He was granted temporary admission to the Carlton Club from my selection as a Conservative candidate in September 2023 to the General Election in July 2024, to the value of £1,367


You can search to see what your MP has received by using our interactive table.

Jeremy Corbyn has received the next highest number of gifts on the Register, with 16. All of his donations are legal fees to pay for Mr Corbyn’s solicitor in the case of Millett vs Corbyn, a libel action against the former Labour leader which was discontinued. Those donations are worth a total of £298,705, which is more than all but one other current MP.

The largest single gift on the register is to Dame Siobhain McDonagh. She was given a £1.2million interest free loan “to be repaid on the sale of the home I share with a family member”. Her entry on the register states that “the move was necessary to provide the family member with complete ground floor access”.

Conservative Party leader Rishi Sunak has two entries on the list - both for the use of helicopters during the election. They were worth a total of £11,496 and were gifted by HomeServe CEO Richard Harpin. Two of the Tory leadership candidates, Robert Jenrick and James Cleverly, don’t have any gifts on the register. Kemi Badenoch does, however - four tickets with hospitality for the Jingle Bell Ball worth £800, donated by Global Media.

MPs to have received the highest valued gifts from UK sources

Dame Siobhain McDonagh: £1,200,000
Jeremy Corbyn: £298,705
Sir Keir Starmer: £65,978
Imogen Walker: £25,000
Mr James Frith: £12,555
Rishi Sunak: £11,496
Greg Smith: £10,829
Dame Karen Bradley: £10,400
Sarah Hall: £10,200
Jo Platt: £10,200
Andrew Rosindell: £8,124
Chris Bryant: £7,962
Dame Caroline Dinenage: £6,623
Sir John Whittingdale: £6,160
Nigel Huddleston: £6,160
Darren Jones: £6,155
Jeremy Hunt: £6,083
Kim Leadbeater: £6,024
Alison Griffiths: £6,000