
Labour MPs alarmed by rise in sponsored events arranged by party
MPs have received invitations for networking receptions that include explicit advertisements for property developers or public affairs firms. The invitations are sent to MPs directly from the parliamentary Labour party (PLP) office and forwarded by party whips.
'The PLP office has literally become a public affairs agency,' one MP said. 'The wording is genuinely shocking.'
An invitation for a summer reception in London said it would be an MP-only event and an 'opportunity for members of the PLP and frontbenchers to relax in a private setting with senior party figures as we return from the summer recess'.
The PLP reception would be hosted in partnership with the property developer Vistry, the invitation said, and included a lengthy advertising pitch for the company. 'As the country's largest homebuilder, we leverage our expertise, skills and scale to deliver quality new housing,' it read, and went on to promote Vistry's timber-manufacturing capability.
A party source said attendance was optional for MPs but at least one invitation made it clear there was an expectation for MPs to attend. 'These bi-annual events are important for the Party, so your attendance would be greatly appreciated,' one said.
MPs are understood to have complained about the explicit corporate nature of the event on an MPs WhatsApp group.
A similar event hosted for Labour MPs in the north-west has been sponsored by Mitie, the facilities management company that provides outsourcing services.
One MP said this was directly at odds with Labour's stated values to return to insourcing services.
This week MPs were invited to attend a 'kickstart economic growth PLP reception' with 'important speakers' at Mastercard's headquarters that had been arranged so MPs would have time to return to vote in the Commons. 'PLP staff are on hand outside and in the venue,' the invitation read.
The credit card company also hosted a reception for Labour's MPs in the north-west, with the PLP office invitation offering a tour of Mastercard's 'experience centre', where the company would demonstrate 'some of the cutting-edge technology and innovation that's supporting small businesses'.
MPs have previously complained about a winter reception, held for the London regional group of MPs, sponsored by the communications consultancy Kanda.
Sign up to Headlines UK
Get the day's headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning
after newsletter promotion
The invitation included a lengthy advertising blurb for Kanda, which said the company worked with clients 'to understand, navigate and respond to the commercial drivers impacting the real-estate sector, including government legislature [and] local issues'.
First Rail, a leading transport group operating Avanti West Coast and Great Western Railway, sponsored a similar reception for the northern regional group of MPs and another event with Go Ahead, also a large public transport group with contracts across the north of England.
A regional reception in December for Scottish MPs was sponsored by Octopus Energy, at the same time the renewable energy group was pushing for a zonal pricing scheme that would benefit Scotland. The energy secretary, Ed Miliband, has since decided not to go ahead with the project.
Members of the PLP group of MPs from the north of England said they were frequently invited to commercial briefings, including with BP Teesside, Yorkshire Water and the British Association of Independent Exploration Companies that lobbies on behalf of the North Sea energy industry. The invitations were also promoted to MPs by party officials.
A Labour party spokesperson said: 'Commercial partnerships at events are a longstanding practice and have no bearing on party or government policy.'
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Independent
29 minutes ago
- The Independent
Macron says UK and France ‘share same will' amid crunch talks over migrant deal
Sir Keir Starmer said the UK would tackle illegal migration with 'new tactics' and a 'new level of intent' before crunch talks to hammer out a deal with Emmanuel Macron. The French president said the UK and France 'share the same will' to address the issue at the start of a Franco-British summit at Downing Street. It came after the pair said a 'new deterrent' was needed to stop small boats crossing the English Channel. The Prime Minister hopes the French president will sign up to a 'one in, one out' deal on Thursday, the last day of Mr Macron's state visit to the UK. Under the terms of the deal, Britain would accept migrants with links to the country in exchange for sending others back across the Channel. Sir Keir said the meeting was about working together on shared priorities. He said: 'For us, it's about delivering the changes that the British people want to see, and we will agree the situation in the Channel cannot go on as it is. 'So we're bringing new tactics into play and a new level of intent to tackle illegal migration and break the business model of the criminal gangs.' Speaking in French, Mr Macron said: 'We share the same will to tackle networks of illegal immigration through great co-ordination with other European countries. 'We have often mentioned France is the last destination before Great Britain for these men and women who often journey through paths of misery and are exploited by traffickers. 'We will work with countries of first entry in Europe (as) our intention is also to engage all countries who share a responsibility alongside us.' Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Energy Secretary Ed Miliband were also at the summit. Defence Secretary John Healey, who was also at the summit, told ITV's Good Morning Britain that footage of French authorities puncturing a migrant dinghy to stop it from setting off last week was a 'recognition' that France has agreed to change its rules to intervene in shallow waters. To reduce small boat crossings, he said those changes need to be 'fully implemented' alongside new legislation, building up the new border security command, and any steps to be announced by Sir Keir and Mr Macron after the summit. French newspaper Le Monde has reported that some 50 migrants a week would initially be returned to France under the terms of the proposed deal, which it described as largely symbolic. If such a deal were struck, it would only result in the return of a fraction of the 21,000 people who have made the Channel crossing so far in 2025, a record for this point in a year. But it would also represent a concession by the French that such returns are possible, after years of MPs on the right of British politics insisting France is a 'safe' country where migrants can be sent back to. The Times reported the scheme would be scaled up after an initial pilot had shown 'proof of concept', citing Government sources. In return, Mr Macron is said to be pushing for the UK to do more to address 'pull factors' which are attracting people to make the dangerous crossing to the English coast. When Mr Macron and Sir Keir met in Downing Street on Wednesday, the small boats crisis appeared to be the mainstay of their conversations. The pair agreed the crossings are a 'shared priority that requires shared solutions', a Downing Street spokesperson said. They also agreed on the need for a 'new deterrent to break the business model of these gangs' and are aiming for 'concrete progress' on the matter. Following the French-UK summit, the two leaders will host a call with coalition of the willing partners, the proposed peacekeeping mission to deter Russia from attacking Ukraine in future. In a sign of close alignment on defence, Britain and France have announced they will buy new supplies of Storm Shadow missiles, which both have loaned to Ukraine to strike targets deep inside Russia. The two nations will also work closely to develop a successor to the long-range missile, the Ministry of Defence said.


The Sun
33 minutes ago
- The Sun
Wimbledon superfans fork out £600 on giant tennis racquet – even though it would fall apart if they used it
WIMBLEDON'S gift stores have flogged two giant tennis racquets for £600 each — after shops got into a race to sell them first. The four-and-a-half-foot bit of sports gear has drawn the attention of thousands of punters since the start of last week. 2 Selling the prop, which is more than three-and-a-half foot tall, has become one of the toughest challenges for temporary workers in SW19's merchandise stores. It even sparked a race between three of the gift shops, in the club's museum, Centre Court and Court No1, to be the first to get rid of one this year. It is understood that a Canadian couple bought one of the mega-racquets last week and are in the process of trying to get it back across the pond. Another was sold over the weekend at full price. The racquets, a replica of Babolat's official tournament model, are very fragile and can't be used on court. They have a light metal frame and use actual string instead of carbon fibre or nylon, making it impossible to hit with. One worker told The Sun: 'We have some very good salespeople, but this has proven difficult to shift so far. 'Every year, we have a race to see who can get rid of it first. It's a decoration, and for the right person, it is probably worth the money. 'A lot of people are interested and walk by and say, 'That's amazing'. 'But then they see it's £600 and that kills it pretty quickly. Novak Djokovic brutally faceplants ground and left writhing in agony as worried wife Jelena watches on at Wimbledon 'If you tried to play with it, it would just fall apart.' Even for staff who pull off the Wolf of Wall Street-style sales pitch, do not get a bounty or any commission for any items they personally flog. Another employee said: 'We've spent lots of time trying to find the best spot for it. 'Nobody could really believe we had actually sold one. 'I suppose, if you have the money, and you love tennis, maybe it's a worthwhile investment for a big house, but I wouldn't want it in a tiny flat.' For fans who can't quite stretch to the £600 price tag, a tiny desk version, which is just seven inches tall, is also on sale for £20. 2


The Independent
33 minutes ago
- The Independent
New study shows all-inclusive holidays to top destinations are going up in price
All-inclusive family package holidays booked from the UK have been getting more expesive, according to new data that has shown a surge in prices at some summer hotspots favoured among Brits. Figures collected by TravelSupermarket for the BBC show that the top five most-searched holiday destinations – Spain, Greece, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Portugal – have all experienced price rises Trips to the UAE have seen the largest spike in price, rising 26 per cent from £1,210 in August 2024, to £1,525 in August 2025. The figures are based on online searches made on TravelSupermarket from 18 April to 17 June, for all-inclusive, seven-night family holidays in August 2025, compared it to the same month in 2024. Popular holiday destination Spain has seen a jump in the average cost per person from £835 in August 2024, to £914 in 2025. The average price in Greece has risen from £926 to £1,038 per person, while Turkey has surged from £874 to £1,003. Meanwhile, the average price for a week in August in Cyprus, which was number nine in the top 10 most searched, has seen a large jump of 23 per cent from £950 per person to £1,166. Based on these price hikes, travel agents said they have seen families booking shorter stays or travelling mid-week to try to keep the costs lower. "Last year we did a lot for 10 nights and this year we've got a lot of people dropping to four or seven nights, just a short little weekend vacation, just getting away in the sun," Luke Fitzpatrick, a travel consultant at Perfect Getaways in Liverpool, told the BBC. Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of travel agent industry group Advantage Travel Partnership, told the news agency that the jump in price for package holidays could be for a range of reasons. "These increases simply keep pace with the broader cost of doing business and reflect the reality of higher operational costs, from increased energy bills affecting hotels, to elevated food costs impacting restaurants and rising wages across the hospitality sector," she said. She added that despite the rise in price, the industry group was seeing that some holidaymakers are still willing to put money towards a trip and even splash out on extra perks. Some customers have been upgrading to premium all-inclusive packages, as well as booking more expensive cabin seats on long-haul flights to destinations such as Dubai, she explained. While some areas of the world are seeing the price of a package holiday soar, not all destinations popular among Brits are experiencing a surge in costs. TravelSupermarket says that out of the top 10 most searched countries, Italy and Tunisia have actually seen prices drop by 11 per cent and four per cent, respectively, compared to 2024. Earlier this year, research by holiday company On the Beach found that all-inclusive package holidays have appealed beyond families to Generation Z. The study found a four per cent year-on-year rise amongst Gen Z travellers, with them accounting for 55 per cent of bookings.