The Labour Party Seems To Be Insatiable When It Comes To Having A Good Time

It has been alleged that Angela Rayner attempted to add a private safari to a formal government trip to Africa.

The Deputy Prime Minister is said to have asked if she could add the personal trip to the itinerary for a visit to Ethiopia in February.

Questions have already been raised about why the DPM, who is also the Secretary of State for Housing, needed to go to East Africa while spearheading plans to ‘get Britain building’ in the UK.

Flights for the DPM and her entourage cost an estimated £20,000, the Guido Fawkes website reported.

While there, she met Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali and visited schools and a health centre, a visit she said was to ‘demonstrate the UK’s ‘commitment to the region and promote ambitions for partnerships and mutual economic growth’.

But her endeavour to fit in a safari to see some of Ethiopia’s wildlife – which includes increasingly rare lions, plus crocodiles, baboons, hippos and hyenas, was shot down by civil servants.

A source told the Times: ‘She was told that’s not how these things worked.’ 

Ms Rayner’s office did not repudiate that she made the request, saying: ‘The itinerary was agreed in advance and this was not part of it’.

A spokesman added: ‘The deputy prime minister carried out diplomatic business and humanitarian engagements to demonstrate the UK’s commitment to the region and promote ambitions for partnerships and mutual economic growth.’

But shadow housing secretary Kevin Hollinrake said: ‘You’d think she’d have enough on her plate dealing with the realities of setting a totally unrealistic target of building 1.5million homes, abolishing every district and county council in England and trying to save the high street from the disastrous impact of massive tax hikes and new employment red tape.’

It came amid a new row over government freebies.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has said she accepted free tickets to see Sabrina Carpenter live because it was ‘the right thing to do from a security perspective’.

The Chancellor said she and a family member went to a concert ‘a couple of weeks ago’ with tickets that ‘weren’t tickets that you were able to buy’.

Ms Reeves promised to disclose the amount of her tickets when asked about the Espresso singer’s performance on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg show.

Following a controversy around MPs receiving freebies and a revision to the Ministerial Code that included new guidelines on when gifts and hospitality are appropriate, her visit to London’s O2 Arena was first covered in the newspaper earlier this month.

Sir Keir Starmer last year acquired several gifts from prominent Labour donor Lord Alli, including ‘multiple pairs of glasses’ to the value of £2,485, ‘work clothing’ worth £16,200 and accommodation worth £20,437.28.

The Prime Minister later paid back more than £6,000 worth of gifts which he obtained after entering Number 10 last year, including four Taylor Swift tickets from record label Universal Music Group totalling £2,800, two from the Football Association for £598, and four to Doncaster races from Arena Racing Corporation at £1,939.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander gave the Chancellor less than full-hearted support this morning.

Touring broadcast studios this morning, Ms Alexander said she did not have ‘anything further to add’ to Ms Reeve’s explanation that she needed the perk for ‘security’ reasons.

Asked on Times Radio if the freebie ‘felt right’, Ms Alexander said: ‘I haven’t taken any tickets to be honest since I was elected back in June as a new member of parliament and going straight into the Ministry of Justice and then coming straight into the Department for Transport.

‘I actually sadly haven’t been to see any concerts at all over the last nine months, partly because I’ve been very very busy.’ 

Pressed on whether she would ever take tickets, Ms Alexander said: ‘I have never, as a member of parliament, I have never accepted tickets to any concerts or anything like that.’

So, why was she there in the first place? I have no idea why she was sent there in an official capacity when our own country is in such a mess. It’s probably all about trying to boost her image.

This is unbelievable – while our government are slowly taxing us more and more, the MPs and cabinet members are going on expense-paid trips that have no relation to their work and lie about it.

Have these MPs got no shame? Always with their hands out for whatever they can get for free, while our poverty-stricken, pensioners and disabled have to come with the begging bowl – ‘Please sir, can I have more!’