A LABOUR MP has been slammed for accepting free Taylor Swift tickets worth nearly £3,500 as a “nice treat” for his children.
Darren Jones, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, admitted to taking the donation during an interview with the BBC yesterday at the party’s annual conference in Liverpool.
The 37-year-old, who is also the MP for Bristol North West, said it was a “nice treat” for his children, and insisted he declared it appropriately.
Jones, who earns north of £120,000 in his role, very swiftly changed the subject to make a sly dig at the Tories for being exposed by undercover journalists for alleged corruption.
The interview for the BBC’s Politics Live programme formed part of a discussion on the ongoing row over donations accepted by party members.
Jones was confronted with the allegation by presenter Jo Coburn that he had accepted a gift of tickets and hospitality at the concert, amounting to a value of almost £3,500.
He answered: “Well, I was offered them, I had not seen my children for the election period. I thought it was a nice treat for them.
“I confess I’m not really a Swiftie, I went in my suit, as was well known. But I took my kids to that, it was a nice treat for them and I declared it in the proper way.
“As you know from my declarations, that’s the main big donation that I took, and I thought it was a nice thing to do for my kids.”
Coburn said: “Should you have taken it? I understand the premise that you’ve explained, but should you have taken it on the basis of what people like Rachel are saying?”
Jones simply repeated it was a “nice thing to do” on an evening he had free with his children, seemingly dodging the point of the question.
When asked if he would do it again, he responded: “In those circumstances, yes.
“I think what you have to be clear of is the contrast between doing a nice thing for my kids, where yes, I get a perk, I’m sure I was offered them because I’m a Cabinet minister, and I declared it in the proper way.
“There’s a difference between that and when undercover journalists and leaks have to expose parties in Downing Street and corrupt Covid contracts with donors of the Tory Party.
“This Labour Party has declared, in line with the rules, transparently, any political donations we’ve received, we’ve explained how they’ve been spent.
“It’s very different to the cover-ups we saw from the last Conservative government.”
The clip from the interview was shared to social media yesterday with the caption: “Government minister Darren Jones (salary £123,026 per year) is asked about accepting free tickets to see Taylor Swift.
“He says it was a nice treat for his kids & he’d do it again.”
It has since received over 2,900 likes and more than 1,000 comments from Brits sharing their criticisms.
One wrote: “I had respect for this guy. After all them clips going hard on other people and we find that he was on the take too.
“How are tickets to Taylor Swift for your kids a political matter?”
A second asked: “Which raises the question: why can’t a well-paid politician realise that when he doesn’t pay for his own ‘treats’ voters will become more hostile to cuts he proposes for others?”
Another said: “So he only treats his kids if someone else pays? A s****y selfish parent and a s****y selfish minister then.”
A fourth commented: “They just don’t seem to get the optics of accepting these ‘gifts’ while taking money from the poorest and most vulnerable and lecture the nation about austerity.
“They’re too immersed in Westminster culture where these ‘gifts’ are seen as perks they think they’re entitled to.”
Another quipped: “Oh, is there a Labour MP left without Taylor Swift tickets? Can’t wait to see who gets the next bribe – oops, I mean, VIP tickets for the Oasis gig.”
