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Financial interests declarations in 2023 by East Lancashire MPs
MPs are required to disclose gifts and payments on the register of members’ financial interests, a record of anything that might be reasonably considered to influence an MP’s words, actions or votes in parliament.
These can include second jobs, donations by businesses or other parties, overseas trips and gifts received by MPs.
Of East Lancashire’s six MPs – five Conservative and one Labour – only Blackburn’s Labour representative Kate Hollern has had no entries into the register so far this year.
Jake Berry – MP for Rossendale and Darwen
Former Conservative Party chair Mr Berry has made three entries on the register of financial interests so far in 2023.
Two are for additional earnings undertaken alongside his parliamentary work, while the other is a donation.
On March 8, he registered a payment of £4,500 for two appearances as a panellist on the Piers Morgan Uncensored television show, and 10 appearances on the News Desk/First Edition show on Talk TV.
He spent 12 hours working on the shows, an hourly rate of £375.
On May 4, Sir Jake registered a further £660 payment for three appearances on Talk TV, taking three hours, at an hourly rate of £220.
He also registered a donation from the Portcullis Club, linked to him but donated to the Rossendale and Darwen Conservative Association.
The £5,000 donation, registered on April 13, is to support campaign activities in the constituency.
Sara Britcliffe – MP for Hyndburn
Ms Britcliffe has made just one declaration on the register thus far in 2023, linked to her trip to Davos in January for the British-Swiss Parliamentary Ski Week.
She was gifted a formal dinner and drinks reception worth £256.79, and an adult ski pass and ski instructor worth £837.95, with a total worth of £1,094.74.
The donors were Skigruppe der Bundesversammlung and Davos Klosters Bergbahnen AG.
Nigel Evans – MP for the Ribble Valley
Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons Mr Evans has made one entry on the register of members financial interests so far in 2023, when he went to the Brit Awards.
The ticket, worth £1,320, was gifted to Mr Evans by UK Music on January 25.
Antony Higginbotham – MP for Burnley
Mr Higginbotham has made two entries to the register so far this year, one for a donation to his local party, and another for a trip abroad.
Registered on February 16 was a donation to his local party organisation by the Carlton Club Political Committee of £5,000.
His second was for a six-day trip to Bangladesh, “to understand the political and economic situation in Bangladesh, meet members of parliament and government, and visit Rohingya refugee camps in Cox’s Bazaar”.
The trip was donated by Gulab Miah in support of the SMR Mental Health Project and Zi Foundation, and covered Mr Higginbotham’s flights, in-country transport, meals and accommodation.
The total value of the trip was £4,510, and took place between March 16 and 21.
Andrew Stephenson – MP for Pendle
Mr Stephenson, also a former Tory party chair, has just one entry so far this year which is for a donation to his constituency Conservative association.
The donation came from the Carlton Club Political Committee – the same unincorporated association which made a donation to Anthony Higginbotham – and was for £15,000.
The donation was registered on March 14.
An ‘unincorporated association’ is an organisation set up through an agreement between a group of people who come together for a reason other than to make a profit.
An example of this is a community sports club, or exclusive members only clubs for dining and meetings such as the Carlton Club.
