Rachel Reeves was at the centre of a growing row over freeby tickets at London’s O2 Arena on Tuesday as the local MP said he personally did not believe it was “appropriate” to accept them.
Greenwich and Woolwich MP Matthew Pennycook said he had never taken a free ticket for the flagship music venue in east London.
Ms Reeves had faced criticism for attending a Sabrina Carpenter show earlier this year ahead of imposing cuts to spending, including the benefits bill, as she seeks to balance the books in the Spring Statement on Wednesday.
The Chancellor 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.
Asked on LBC how often he had enjoyed free tickets to the O2 Arena which is in his constituency, Mr Pennycook said: “Zero.”
Pressed on Ms Reeves’ freeby tickets, he added: “That’s a decision for individual MPs and individual ministers.
“I don’t personally think it is 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.
“The important thing is that everything is declared and above board.”
On Monday, Downing Street stressed that Cabinet members were “personally responsible for deciding how to act”.
Pressed on whether Ms Reeves had made the right decision, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “Obviously the Prime Minister supports all of his ministers making their own judgments in relation to these matters as per the ministerial code.”
Meanwhile, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander distanced herself from the Chancellor’s decision as she faced questions from broadcasters on Monday’s morning media round.
“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.
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.
The Chancellor also accepted theatre tickets worth £276 over the Christmas period, according to reports.
The so-called “freebies” row, which engulfed Sir Keir’s top team after their election win last year, saw the Prime Minister announcing he would repay the costs of some gifts he received.
However, the Prime Minister defended his acceptance of corporate hospitality from Arsenal football club, citing security as his reason for doing so, similar to Ms Reeves.
He also tightened hospitality rules for ministers to ensure better transparency about what was being donated following the backlash.
The new code introduced last year did not ban ministers from accepting donations but do now require them to consider the “need to maintain the public’s confidence”.
