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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Ian Jones and George Lithgow

Andy Burnham received Everton directors’ lounge tickets for Premier League game worth £677

Prime Minister Andy Burnham accepted directors' lounge tickets worth £677 at Everton football club, according to the latest published register of MPs' interests.

The declaration shows he received the three passes on August 22, the same date he was photographed at Everton's home fixture against Crystal Palace with his wife, Marie-France van Heel, and his daughter, Rosie.

The former Greater Manchester mayor has long been a dedicated Everton fan.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham (centre) and wife Marie-France van Heel in the stands during the Premier League match at the Hill Dickinson Stadium (Peter Byrne/PA)
Prime Minister Andy Burnham (centre) and wife Marie-France van Heel in the stands during the Premier League match at the Hill Dickinson Stadium (Peter Byrne/PA)

Last week, Mr Burnham welcomed fellow Evertonian Mark Carney, the prime minister of Canada, to the Hill-Dickinson Stadium to watch the club’s Carabao Cup tie against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Mr Burnham held a bilateral meeting with Mr Carney at the stadium in Liverpool before the match.

In 2024, the then prime minister Sir Keir Starmer paid back more than £6,000 worth of gifts and hospitality – including football tickets – after a row over ministerial donations.

Sir Keir took £920 from Tottenham Hotspur stadium for two tickets to the north London derby, and £1,000 from Arsenal FC for a game in August.

He faced weeks of criticism for accepting tens of thousands of pounds worth of freebies from wealthy donors.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, meanwhile, registered a three-day visit to Athens in Greece in August costing £8,170 to meet with media mogul Rupert Murdoch – paid for by his family’s News Corp UK.

Starmer once paid back more than £6,000 worth of gifts and hospitality – including football tickets – after a row over ministerial donations (PA Wire)
Starmer once paid back more than £6,000 worth of gifts and hospitality – including football tickets – after a row over ministerial donations (PA Wire)

The costs covered by the media organisation included flights, transport and accommodation for Ms Badenoch and her husband, according to the register.

She also met prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis while in Greece.

Rupert Lowe, Restore Britain’s only MP and leader, also continued to take payments from Elon Musk’s X social media platform.

He received £2,540 on September 3 and £2,413 on September 16.

Reform UK’s Nigel Farage has criticised Mr Musk over his support for Restore Britain, warning the tech billionaire will “split the right”.

But he and another Reform MP were also listed as accepting payments from X.

Nigel Farage received £289 on September 9, and Lee Anderson received £93 on August 19 and £211 on September 9.

Mr Farage also declared payments from Google for “social media work” totalling £1,407 (£116 on February 25, £129 on July 23 and £1,161 on August 25).

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