Housing secretary investigated for failing to declare football tickets
Michael Gove has admitted he didn't register a VIP hospitality gift, and the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner is to investigate the lapse.
Housing Secretary Michael Gove (main picture) is to be investigated for failing to notify the parliamentary authorities of a hospitality gift he received.
Gove was entertained at a Queens Park Rangers football match, but didn’t declare it on the MPs’ register of interests.
The Guardian revealed the lapse last week, and now the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner has launched an investigation into the issue.
The revelations couldn’t come at a worse time for Gove, who is facing significant flak from many quarters over his controversial Renters (Reform) Bill.
Admitted
The former Conservative leadership candidate has admitted he failed to register the football tickets, and described it as an oversight.
The hospitality was a gift from businessman David Meller, a Conservative donor whose company he had recommended for personal protective equipment (PPE) contracts during the Covid pandemic.
Gove, who has led on the Renters (Reform) Bill in Parliament, was given VIP hospitality with his son at a QPR match in 2021, when he was Minister for the Cabinet Office.
Apology
A spokesperson for Gove said: “Mr Gove is grateful to the Guardian for bringing this matter to his attention. He has written to the relevant parliamentary authorities to inform them of a potential omission from the register of members’ financial interests regarding two complimentary tickets he received from Queens Park Rangers Football Club to a match in August 2021.
“Mr Gove routinely declares his attendance at such events in his role as an MP and government minister, as evidenced by other entries in his register of interests and ministerial transparency returns. He apologises for any oversight on his part.”
Champions League
Gove has previously registered football match hospitality including two tickets worth £2,500 from Santander Bank for the Champions League final between Chelsea and Manchester City in June 2021.
A government spokesperson said ministers were not involved in procurement decisions or the awards of contracts during the emergency effort to secure PPE.
