19 MPs attended BRIT Awards after being gifted free tickets and hospitality worth £1000 each

At least 19 MPs were given tickets to the BRIT Awards last month by private companies and lobbying groups, valued collectively at more than £25,000.

Former Health Secretary Matt Hancock and Shadow Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Lucy Powell were among the MPs to benefit from hospitality and tickets to the glamorous event.

How many MPs were given tickets, and by who?

A number of MPs received tickets and hospitality valued at around £1,000 each to the BRIT Awards, with several taking a plus-one to the event.

According to the most recent entry in the register of members’ financial interests, 19 MPs received tickets, although the 30-day deadline to declare the gifts has not yet passed, so more MPs could have received tickets.

Music industry trade bodies the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) and UK Music provided the most MPs with tickets, seven and five respectively, while gambling industry lobbyist the Betting and Gaming Council provided tickets to four MPs.

These four MPs, Laurence Robertson, David Warburton, Aaron Bell and Scott Benton, are all members of the All Party Parliamentary Group on gambling.

A spokesperson for the Betting and Gaming Council said: “Any hospitality is consistent with the parliamentary rules and is fully declared and transparent”.

UK Music’s CEO is Jamie Njoko-Goodwin, previously an adviser to Matt Hancock during his time as Health Secretary.

Njoku-Goodwin also previously held advisory roles in the Department for Culture Media and Sport.

Former deputy Labour leader Tom Watson is currently the Chair of UK Music.

The remaining three MPs received tickets from Google, and were invited as ‘guests of YouTube’, which is owned by Google.

Fourteen of the MPs were from the Conservative Party, while four were Labour MPs and one, Angus MacNeil, is from the SNP.

In February a number of other MPs also registered hospitality and tickets which they received.

Greg Hands, Minister of State for Business, Energy and Clean Growth, received a hospitality ticket to watch Chelsea worth £600, courtesy of Arne Groes, an executive at leading European bank BNP Paribas.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer attended a Saracens rugby match along with three guests, paid for by Saracens, at a cost of £1,800.

Former Transport Secretary Chris Grayling was given matchday hospitality and a ticket to Harlequins rugby courtesy of Ten Broeke Co, a firm which offers advisory services on ‘digitised railway infrastructure’.

Which MPs accepted tickets to the BRIT Awards?

Here is a list of the MPs who received tickets, how much they were worth and who provided them.

• CON - Bim Afolami - British Phonographic Industry (BPI) - Two tickets £1,700
• CON - Aaron Bell - Betting & Gaming Council (B&GC) - Hospitality and two tickets £2,328
• CON - Scott Benton - B&GC - Hospitality and one ticket  £1,164
• CON - Andrew Bowie  - UK Music - One ticket £850
• CON - Therese Coffey - UK Music - One ticket £1,090
• CON - Mims Davies - BPI - Hospitality and One ticket £1,020
• LAB - Alex Davies-Jones - UK Music - Hospitality and One ticket £1,090
• CON - Dehenna Davison - Google - Ticket (used by staff member) £1,150
• CON - Ben Everitt - UK Music - Hospitality and one ticket £1,090
• LAB - Peter Kyle - Google - Hospitality and one ticket £1,150
• SNP - Angus MacNeil - BPI - Two tickets £1,700
• LAB - Lucy Powell - BPI - Two tickets & hospitality £2,040
• CON - Matt Hancock - BPI - Two tickets £2,040
• CON - Ellie Reeves - Google - Hospitality and one ticket £1,150
• CON - Laurence Robertson - BG&C - Hospitality and two tickets £2,328
• CON - Paul Scully - UK Music - Hospitality and one ticket - £800
• LAB - Jeff Smith - BPI - Hospitality and one ticket £1,020
• CON - David Warburton - B&GC - Hospitality and one ticket £1,164
• CON - John Whittingdale - BPI - Two tickets £2,000