Revealed: The gifts received by Scottish MSPs and MPs, including Anas Sarwar and Stephen Flynn

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has accepted tickets to international football and rugby matches, including £5,000 in hospitality packages at Murrayfield, The Scotsman can reveal.

Analysis of the official register shows the Scottish Labour leader has declared the highest value in gifts out of any opposition MSP at Holyrood since the 2021 Scottish election.

The declarations include receiving tickets costing thousands for the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. All gifts more than £320 in value are required to be declared, with MSPs from across the political spectrum featuring on the list. Ministerial gifts, however, including any claims made by First Minister John Swinney, are declared through a separate process.

The details have emerged as Labour is embroiled in criticism over Sir Keir Starmer and other UK Cabinet members accepting gifts for tickets and clothing.

Read more: Freebie fiasco suggests Sir Keir Starmer even more tone deaf than journalists

The Prime Minister has come under scrutiny for the more than £100,000 worth of gifts he has accepted, while other prominent Labour Cabinet members have done likewise.

Mr Sarwar accepted a £3,000 hospitality package from the Scottish Rugby Union (SRU) for Scotland’s 30-21 victory at Murrayfield in February.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Records show Mr Sarwar also accepted a similar package from the SRU for Scotland’s 20-17 Calcutta Cup victory at Murrayfield in 2022, costing an estimated £2,000.

The Scottish Labour leader accepted a ticket and hospitality from the Scottish FA from its chief executive Ian Maxwell for Scotland’s 3-1 defeat to England at Hampden, costing £399. 

Mr Sarwar’s declared register of gifts also reveals almost £5,000 in hospitality packages for him and guests to attend the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo over the past three years. Politicians from the SNP, Conservatives, LibDems and Labour also accepted Tattoo tickets.

It comes amid reports Mr Sarwar and Scottish Secretary Ian Murray took up free seats for the Liverpool versus AFC Bournemouth Premier League clash at Anfield on Saturday, paid-for by Salmon Scotland.

New Scottish Labour MPs also accepted gifts just weeks after being elected to the Commons.

Records show new Labour MP for Glasgow South, Gordon McKee, was given free tickets to the Wimbledon Men’s final at a value of £550.

The new Labour MP for Edinburgh North and Leith, Tracy Gilbert, was also handed free tickets to the Wimbledon ladies final, worth £550, while the new MP for Central Ayrshire, Allan Gemmill accepted tickets to The Open golf championship worth £450.

A Scottish Labour spokesperson said: "There is a long-standing practice of MPs and MSPs accepting invitations where there is a strategic networking opportunity or a chance to learn more about an industry or sector. All meetings are declared in the usual way and in line with the appropriate rules."

Scottish Conservatives

Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross accepted a ticket and hospitality package to the Scotland versus England clash at Hampden Park last year, costing £399, accepted Wimbledon tickets and hospitality from Diageo in July 2022 worth £475, and tickets and hospitality for The Open at St Andrews from Salmond Scotland worth £1,000.

Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross | Getty Images

Two of the three candidates vying to replace Mr Ross as Tory leader, Russell Findlay and Murdo Fraser, accepted tickets to Celtic’s 1-0 victory over Rangers at Hampden in the Scottish Cup semi finals last April, with the gift for each Conservative MP costing £390.

Lothians MSPs Miles Briggs and Jamie Greene attended the Ayr Gold Cup in September last year as guests of Scottish Racing, with the gift worth £378 apiece.

Conservative MSP Maurice Golden accepted tickets and hospitality for the Calcutta Cup games at Murrayfield in February 2022 and February 2024 - with a total value of £377.

Tory transport spokesperson Graham Simpson accepted a £500 hospitality package to watch the Scottish Cup Final between Celtic and Inverness Caley Thistle last year as a guest of First Group.

Brian Whittle accepted hospitality tickets from Scottish Gas worth £500 to watch France defeat Scotland 20-16 at Murrayfield last February.

SNP

Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes attended the 2024 Calcutta Cup match at Murrayfield with her husband, as guests of Heineken, valued at £400. 

Kate Forbes | Getty Images

SNP MSP Ben Macpherson accepted a gift for him and a guest for the 2017 Six Nations match between Scotland and Ireland in 2017 at Murrayfield with a value of £1,309.

SNP higher education minister Graeme Day accepted a freebie to watch The Open at St Andrews in July of this year, with a value of £750. Meanwhile SNP MSP Stephanie Callaghan accepted tickets for the Ayr Gold Cup in September last year, worth £378.

At Westminster, Stephen Flynn accepted hospitality tickets from BP for Wimbledon in July 2023 worth £1,500 and from the English Football League to watch Liverpool defeat Chelsea in the Carabao Cup Final at Wembley in February with a value of £350.

Stephen Flynn | Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

Pete Wishart accepted a free ticket to the Mercury Music Awards in London in September 2023, worth £495.

Labour

Midlothian MSP Martin Whitfield accepted hospitality freebies for the 2022 Calcutta Cup match at Murrayfield worth £325.

Paul O’Kane accepted two group D finals tickets for the David Cup tennis event in Glasgow, worth £492. Labour MSP Rhoda Grant meanwhile accepted two tickets from Inverness Caley Thistle for the Andrea Bocelli ‘Believe’ world tour, with a value of £330.

Labour MSP Neil Bibby also accepted 150 bottles of beer worth £450 from Tennent’s in February 2018, used to promote his proposed Tied Pubs Bill.

Lib Dems

Scottish Lib Dems leader, Alex Cole-Hamilton, accepted a gift for the Scotland defeat to England at Hampden in September 2023 as a guest of Channel 4, with a value of £478.

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton. Picture: Jane Barlow/AFP via Getty

Deputy leader and MP, Wendy Chamberlain, accepted two hospitality tickets to the Scottish Baftas in November 2023, worth £516, while she also receive two freebies to The Open at St Andrews in July this year worth £750.

Edinburgh West MP Christine Jardine accepted two free tickets plus hospitality from BBC Cymru Wales to Scotland’s 27-26 victory over Wales in the Six Nations in February of this year, worth £1,050. She also accepted two hospitality tickets from Heineken for this year’s Calcutta Cup match at Murrayfield, with £400.