Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

UK MPs defend accepting ‘lavish’ Qatari gifts before World Cup

UK MPs defend accepting ‘lavish’ Qatari gifts before World Cup

MPs argued trips to Qatar were an opportunity to raise human rights concerns with the government.
British MPs have defended taking gifts paid for by the Qatari government as a corruption scandal in Brussels shines the spotlight on lobbying by the country ahead of the World Cup.

The Qatari government spent more than £260,000 in gifts, hospitality and travel on British MPs since October last year. 

Human rights campaigners have criticized the access afforded to the Qatari government following the arrest of European Parliament Vice President Eva Kaili and three others in connection with an alleged illicit influence campaign by Qatar. A series of raids by the Belgian federal police resulted in the detention of five people they said had committed “alleged offenses of criminal organization, corruption and money laundering,” and yielded €600,000 in cash, plus phones and computers.

All the trips by MPs were declared in accordance with parliamentary rules but human rights campaigners have questioned their legitimacy. 
Sacha Deshmukh, Amnesty International UK’s chief executive, said: “No politician should be taking money or lavish trips from Qatar. Instead, they should be speaking out against the regime’s extensive human rights violations.”

Rose Whiffen, research officer for Transparency International U.K., said: “MPs should ask themselves why governments with poor human rights records are offering them paid foreign trips before deciding whether it is right to accept them.”

While there is no evidence of bribes to U.K. MPs, some MPs who received benefits from the Gulf state currently hosting the FIFA World Cup have been criticized for initiating debates in which they praised Qatar’s record on human rights in the House of Commons. 

Alun Cairns, a former Cabinet minister and chair of the Qatar all-party parliamentary group (APPG), put forward a debate about the country in the House of Commons in October in which he hailed its progress on human rights in a lengthy speech. He cited Nelson Mandela’s words that “sport can change the world” and spoke of “the importance of bringing together cultures to better understand, influence and progress” so that “each nation respects, sees and supports human rights.”

Analysis by POLITICO as part of a wider investigation into APPGs showed Cairns visited Qatar twice in 2022 on trips worth a total of £9,323 including flights, accommodation and meals.

David Mundell, another former Cabinet minister and vice-chair of the Qatar APPG, said in the same debate, referring to criticism of Qatar’s record on gay rights: “Many of the people who have voiced opinions on this issue should also focus their energies on the handling of LGBT issues in professional football in the U.K.”

Mundell made one visit to Qatar last year worth more than £7,000.

Lisa Cameron, an SNP MP who is another vice-chair of the Qatar APPG, said that “understanding of [mental health issues] is progressing right across the world, including in Qatar.” She made one visit this year worth £3,865.

In total, 36 MPs have accepted the hospitality of the Qatari government since October last year, with three MPs receiving benefits worth more than £13,000 each. The average trip was worth £5,922.70.

Deputy Commons Speaker Nigel Evans received the largest total, despite his position which precludes him from speaking in any debates or putting forward questions. 

These MPs rarely voiced criticism of Qatar. Conservative Mark Pritchard raised questions about their funding of the Eritrean regime back in 2010 before he began accepting their hospitality, and Labour’s Chris Bryant has condemned the decision to hold the World Cup in Qatar after saying he regretted taking their money.

Analysis of the APPG records showed the group was composed of only six to ten parliamentarians from 2015 to 2021, when membership increased to 14 and then again to 17 this year. 

Eight MPs in receipt of benefits from the Qataris are members of the APPG, while several others declared “APPG business” as the reason for their visits despite not being registered members of the APPG. 

MPs who responded to requests for comment defended their actions as a way of holding Qatar to account.

Doyle-Price said: “It is precisely to challenge them on their human rights record that we go on these trips … If we are going to moralize at Qatar we should be a bit more honest with ourselves about our own shortcomings.”

Furniss said she went there “in order to have full and frank discussions with political leaders on their human rights record” and added she was “disappointed by the lack of progress.”

Bryant noted that MPs attended a center for Afghan refugees and that they “forcefully put our human rights concerns to the Qatari authorities.” However, he added that “they didn’t want to listen and it all felt wrong,” which led him to conclude he should not have gone.

The MPs’ code of conduct stipulates they may not initiate any parliamentary proceeding that “would have the effect of conferring any financial or material benefit on a foreign government … which has, within the previous six months, funded a visit they have undertaken or provided them with hospitality.”

Cairns’ initiation of a debate on Qatar in October after his visit in March appears to fall just outside the six-month rule. He did not respond to a request for comment.

Earlier this week MPs backed proposals to strengthen the code of conduct including a requirement to “avoid placing themselves under any obligation to people or organizations that might try inappropriately to influence them in their work.”

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and Sport and Equalities Minister Stuart Andrew have attended World Cup games in Qatar, though there is no suggestion their trips were funded by the organizers.

In the U.K., declarations by MPs setting out gifts they have accepted and their business interests can be completed up to 28 days later and so the rules have not required MPs accepting hospitality during the World Cup to declare it yet.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
Intel Reports Revenue Beats but Sees 81% Rise in Losses
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
Tulsi Gabbard Unveils Evidence Alleging Political Manipulation of Intelligence During Trump Administration
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Trump Announces Coca-Cola to Shift to Cane Sugar in U.S. Production
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
Moonshot AI Unveils Kimi K2: A New Open-Source AI Model
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
×