MP labelled a 'moron' for defending Prime Minister's £100K in freebies

A Tameside MP has defended nearly £18,000 in gifts he has received in last five years.

Stalybridge and Hyde MP Jonathan Reynolds was sixth in a list of Greater Manchester MPs who had declared receiving gift, such as tickets to sporting events.

The business secretary declared gifts with a total value of £17,905 since December 2019, which included free tickets for a Sheffield Wednesday match and the FA Cup final as well as a gift from a barrister who paid for his car hire.

A spokesman for Mr Reynolds said: "As the business secretary, and in his previous role as Shadow Business Secretary, Jonathan is frequently asked to attend events in an official capacity to highlight the strength and depth of British industries. Each donation is rightly declared in the usual and proper way so that the public can scrutinise these activities."

Mr Reynolds has appeared on television over the last few days defending Prime Minister Keir Starmer who has declared £107,145 worth of gifts, benefits and hospitality over the last five years.

On Good Morning Britain he was ridiculed when he said the Prime Minister deserved to have a free £8,500 seat at Arsenal and deserved time off from his work running the country.

This earned Mr Reynolds a place on the front page of the Daily Star newspaper where a mocked-up picture showed him reading 'Politics for Dummies' and was described as a 'moron' under the headline 'Minister defends cadger PM's £100K of freebies as OAPs lose £300 fuel help'.