Sadiq Khan freebies including free Taylor Swift tickets | Politics

Since taking office, London Mayor Sadiq Khan has received more than £100,000 in gifts and hospitality, including concert tickets for Bruce Springsteen and Taylor Swift.

The 53-year-old, who has been mayor of the capital since 2016, joins the ranks of leading Labor politicians, including the Prime Minister, being vetted for their acceptance of perks in the position.

According to The Telegraph, Khan enjoyed free entry to Madonna concerts, Abba tours, the Vogue World fashion show, cricket and tennis matches, as well as boxing trips.

The newspaper also reported that he had access to free travel and accommodation. The entire team surrounding the mayor, including deputies and commissioners, is also said to have collected gifts worth £250,000.

Khan’s recent enviable trips include six £194 tickets to Taylor Swift’s Wembley match in August, courtesy of the FA, and a free £1,000 ticket to June’s Champions League final issued by UEFA. The latter is listed as part of its official fixtures with London as the host city.

Khan, who supports Liverpool, is said to have received two tickets worth £800 to see his team beat Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley in February.

The Telegraph reports that prices remain high and in the last two years Khan has attended a number of concerts in the capital, with tickets for Madonna worth £800 and Bruce Springsteen worth £239.90.

However, it was the All England Club that gave the mayor a large portion of gifts, including four tickets to the Wimbledon finals worth over £13,000.

A spokesman for the Mayor of London told Express.co.uk: “As Mayor, Sadiq works tirelessly to beat the drum for London and act as a champion of the capital’s creative and sporting sectors.

“Any gift accepted by the mayor is declared openly and transparently and is subject to strict rules.”

Since the party came to power in July, Labor has continued to speculate on spending and gifts pledged by senior Labor members.

Now it has been announced that the rules around hospitality ministers will be reviewed to provide greater transparency around the benefits provided, the government has said.

Senior Cabinet minister Pat McFadden said the rules would be changed to bring them in line with what shadow ministers and backbench MPs must announce.

Under current arrangements, details of hospitality received by ministers as part of their ministerial responsibilities are published by departments.

However, this information is published quarterly and does not take into account the value of hospitality. The interests of MPs and shadow ministers must be declared within 28 days, are published fortnightly and include hospitality costs.