Bridget Phillipson has an awkward time on ITV News – without an answer to questions about her night at a Taylor Swift gig

IT was quite something to see the dawning realisation on the new education secretary Bridget Phillipson’s face as she was asked about why she had accepted tickets to Taylor Swift’s Wembley gig and that the best she was going to be able to come up with was… “it was a hard one to turn down”.

You could almost feel sorry for industry minister Sarah Jones when, as the Labour Party tried to talk about important policies and things, she too was collared on Newsnight about her freebies.

Imagine your hard to turn down list being revealed on air to be Capital Radio’s saccharine Summer Time Ball. There she was blushing in the face of Victoria Derbyshire, all for the sake of a night with the Jonas Brothers.

There were two types of people at conference this week: one who felt frustrated at the freebies furore and the perception of a fresh government looking grabby and out of touch, especially after telling everybody that the grown ups are back in the room.
And another side who thought this so-called scandal was simply Labour bashing, something to be expected and not something to get too exercised about.

There were comments along the lines as to why people were acting like MPs had never enjoyed hospitality before.

After all, the long list of Liverpool football matches and other apparently exciting events enjoyed by Mayor of London Sadiq Khan have often appeared in newspaper diary snippets.

Victoria Derbyshire has Sarah Jones blushing over her love for Capital FM on Newsnight

Most coverage over the years, whoever the politician receiving, has simply been a sort of envious fascination about a jammy git getting the best tickets in the house, rather than any real questioning about why the gifts are given in the first place.

Perhaps it is about time that it was spelt out more often that everybody has a reason, even if it is tiny, for offering up a place on the guest list – and it is inevitable that along the way, transparency is distorted and influence is hidden.

Arsenal may well be helping Sir Keir Starmer stay safe – and well supplied with vol-au-vents – in the security of the Emirates’ hospitality section, but it doesn’t harm the club that TV shots of a world leader in its stadium beam around the globe.

Of course, it must be hard for any politician to not take someone’s call if they have just shelled out a few grand on your new glasses or kitted out your wardrobe.

It’s suggested to Sir Keir Starmer that he might have to give up his Arsenal season ticket if he moves to Downing Street next month pic.twitter.com/BbviY4CuSV

— Richard Osley (@RichardOsley) June 14, 2024

Sir Keir Starmer told us in June that he had renewed his Arsenal season ticket – but has since has security advice telling him he must go in the more secure hospitality area at the Emirates

Freebies seem to be one of those things that seemed alright to MPs and peers forever, until they weren’t. A bit like MPs’ expenses, or second home squeezes. One day the press decided the thing that had been in front of them all along, actually looked quite bad when you typed it out in black and white.

Wait till they find out about how the soft and not so soft power of lobbying and ‘public affairs’ works, or the completely opaque way people are selected to positions of influence in the House of Lords.

In this context, it’s perhaps not so surprising that our cherished press corps took so long to suddenly decide phone hacking was bad and report on it, after years, it might be suspected, of it being regarded as just one of those things in the industry that happens.

The irony of this week’s attention is that some of the most active doorstepping reporters are from media companies that often lay on events with hospitality for MPs and others – in a bid to maintain connections with those in power.

And what would happen if journalists who influence our national debate or try to choose the agenda were ordered to closely record what they had received too?

A high powered media register of gifts and hospitality would no doubt make just as excitable reading.

I, for one, can declare a cup of coffee from all of the political parties.