Hospitality hand-outs revealed
Details of gifts and hospitality accepted by county councillors revealed
County councillors have accepted hospitality valued at hundreds of pounds - including tickets to football matches and other events - according to details published under the council’s register of interests
The law requires that where an elected councillor receives some kind of gift or hospitality valued at £25 or more, then the details should be made public within 28 days.
Among the hospitality offered have been free concerts, football matches and in one case, a helicopter ride. There is no suggestion that councillors have failed to comply with the law.
The Reform Party leader Cllr Linden Kemkaran accepted a VIP package from Leeds Castle valued at £385, which gave her free tickets to attend concerts and enjoy complementary meals from a VIP marquee.
Meanwhile, Reform Party cabinet member for education and skills Cllr Beverley Fordham registered football tickets she accepted from Charlton Athletic Football Club to watch a match with Blackburn, along with lunch at an estimated value of £180.
Deputy cabinet member for education and skills Cllr Luke Evans, recorded that he had a meeting with Charlton Athletic Community Trust in September last year at Charlton Athletic Football Club.
The hospitality was estimated to cost £180 and included tickets to “gain access to the hospitality box which included a three-course meal, three drinks and tickets to watch the football match in the Directors Box.”
According to the county council, “introductions were made before the match and the meeting was continued after the match.”
Cllr Peter Osborne, another Reform Party county councillor, registered hospitality of £100 in November for a meal with Dr Tim Aker, who heads the Kent Business Alliance and is a former Ukip MEP. Cllr Osborne is now the county council’s transport cabinet member and represents Hythe West. According to the register, the lunch was to discuss the traffic issues for visitors to the county.
There was a curious declaration from Reform Party county councillor David Wimble, who chose to declare that he had accepted an offer of a helicopter flight to a party conference in Birmingham even though it was outside his county council role. His declaration form states he had no KCC meetings at the conference and the flight was offered to him from a friend who helped run the helicopter company Alcaline Aviation.
The idea of councillors accepting offers of hospitality or gifts from companies or individuals is not one which sits easily with the electorate, who often look to their representatives to help them when they have financial challenges.
In a statement, Kent County Council (KCC) said: “The county council is required to keep a record of each Member’s registered interests and receipts of gifts and hospitality where these are declared by Members. Individual entries are made available on the council’s website.”
“It is for individual members to decide whether they accept or decline invitations and gifts. Training is provided by the county council so Members are able to make informed decisions around public disclosures.”
Meanwhile, some councillors have halted the publication of personal details, such as their home address, because they are concerned that they may be the target of personal attack.
They have done so using an exemption in the law that takes into account whether the member in question has genuine concerns regarding their personal safety or not.