Lindsay Hoyle, the Speaker of the Commons, has personally kept nearly 300 gifts over the past four years, according to his voluntary disclosures. Since 2021, Hoyle has accepted a wide variety of items,  ranging from high-end alcohol and festive hampers to cufflinks, books, skincare products, and even gifts for his pets.

Though UK Parliament gift rules only require MPs to declare individual items valued over £300, Hoyle has chosen to proactively publish all the gifts he has received. These include around 80 bottles of alcohol, as well as gifts from foreign diplomats, including a rug and Korean skincare sets.

Luxurious items

Among the gifts received during the 2023 holiday season were luxury hampers from Qatar, Bahrain, and Anguilla, containing wine, champagne, and gourmet food. Conservative MP Priti Patel gifted Hoyle a Christmas pudding for at least the third consecutive year.

While Hoyle retained the majority of items for personal use, some gifts were selectively shared. After receiving a food and drink package from North Macedonia’s ambassador, he kept a bottle of wine and gin but handed over jars of Ajvar and herbal teas to staff.

A spokesperson for the Speaker defended the practice, stating, “As is common practice across the world, the speaker gives and receives gifts when hosting dignitaries as a token of friendship and relationship-building between nations and parliaments.” Decisions on whether items are displayed in Speaker’s House are made in consultation with parliamentary officials.

Voluntary transparency sparks broader questions

Former deputy Commons leader Tom Brake, now Director of Unlock Democracy, welcomed Hoyle’s transparency but used the disclosures to highlight systemic concerns. “The speaker’s voluntary declaration of the gifts he receives shines a light on the potential scale of freebies accepted but undeclared by MPs,” he said.

Brake criticized the £300 declaration threshold, arguing it is too lenient by both public and private sector standards. The comments have reignited debate around MPs' gift declaration rules and whether they require reform to ensure greater accountability.

In addition to gifts, Hoyle has come under scrutiny for his overseas travel expenses. Since 2019, he has taken 19 international trips costing around £250,000, of which more than £180,000 went toward business- and first-class flights, luxury accommodations, and high-end meals.

Responding to The Sunday Times, Hoyle defended the expenditures as necessary for fulfilling his diplomatic role. “People see the prime minister going off to the G20 and G7 but, of course, there’s the speaker’s equivalent,” he said. “There’s two ways we could do it. Leave an empty chair without the UK attending. What does that say about the UK’s standing in the world, especially with global events at the moment?”

He emphasized that part of his responsibility is to use his platform on the world stage to “speak out” on major geopolitical issues. “It’s about standing up and leading the rest of the room to tell Russia it had no right to invade the sovereign territory of Ukraine.”

Calls for reform in UK parliament gift rules

Hoyle’s office has maintained that all declarations have been made proactively and in line with protocol. It also stressed that items such as ties, cufflinks, and other accessories are regularly worn at official engagements, while heritage-themed gifts are often displayed publicly.

Nonetheless, transparency advocates say these revelations should prompt a review of current standards for MPs.

With the combination of lavish gifts and expensive travel, critics argue that the UK Parliament's gift rules no longer reflect modern expectations of public accountability.

Hoyle earns an annual salary of approximately £160,000 and resides in a grace-and-favour apartment within the Palace of Westminster.

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