The cash behind our MPs: All the foreign trips, freebies and donations given to Scotland's 59 MPs - Part Three

Scottish MPs have received free event tickets, trips to far-flung countries, as well as thousands in donations since their elections

Scotland’s 59 MPs are a mixed bunch from a broad church of political views, but they all provide a route for those with money and power to influence politics at a national level.

In this series, we take a look at each MP elected to the House of Commons in the 2019 general election who will represent Scotland for the next four-and-a-half years.

We will examine the foreign trips, freebies, outside work and donations to see who is contributing to the people you elect to represent you.

MPs have to register financial gifts or donations as part of their role in the House of Commons

We will also work through the list of Scottish MPs alphabetically, beginning with Hannah Bardell and ending with Pete Wishart, with 15 MPs per week.

You can find Part One here, running from Hannah Bardell to Ronnie Cowan.

Part Two, from Angela Crawley to Neale Hanvey, is here.

This article will list MPs from Drew Hendry to Carol Monaghan, and will include the Secretary of State for Scotland Alister Jack.

The former Scottish justice secretary and current East Lothian MP, Kenny MacAskill

We are also beginning this exercise from 2010, rather than the earliest date for some of those elected, 2001.

For the purposes of this article, we are not including anything which involved a fee being donated directly to charity which can include fees for newspaper columns and other work.

Many of the foreign trips are part of the workings of All-Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs) which are groups of MPs who work together around one issue or country.

Drew Hendry – Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey

Secretary of State for Scotland Alister Jack in Downing Street

Elected in 2015, beating former coalition minister Danny Alexander in Inverness, Mr Hendry has acted as the SNP’s spokesperson for businesss, energy and industrial strategy. His foreign trips include:

• In 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 Trip to Gibraltar, paid for by Gibraltar Government for their national day, worth £827, £1,260, £1,032, £1,042, and £1,110 respectively.

• In July 2016 he travelled to to Ludwigshafen, Germany, paid for by BASF, a German multinational chemical company and largest chemical producer in the world. It was part of the Industry and Parliament Trust Fellowship to learn more about BASF's work, exploring topics including sustainability, energy security and apprenticeships. Worth £659.

• Later that year in September 2016, he went to Berlin courtesy of Rolls-Royce as part of an APPG visit to meet German politicians to discuss the EU referendum. Worth £1,445.

In terms of gifts, he was given:• Tickets to Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival worth £585 in August 2015 where he spoke as an invited participant in a panel debate.• In March 2019, he received tickets for England v Scotland at Twickenham, paid for by London City Airport. Worth £1,050

In donations he has received:• In June 2015 and November 2019 donations of £3,000 from Witherby Publishing Group who specialise in marine training materials and other specialist publications.• In November 2019 a donation of £2,000 from Beaver Creek Lodge, owned by Ian Forrester.

Stewart Hosie – Dundee East

The deputy leader of the SNP under Nicola Sturgeon between November 2014 and October 2016, Mr Hosie has been a member of the House of Commons since winning his seat in 2005, gaining it from Labour.

He was previously the SNP’s chief whip and now is their spokesperson on trade as well as a member of the Intelligence and Security Committee. He has received;

• In 2010, executive lounge membership at Dundee United FC, paid for by the club.

• In 2011, a £2,050 gift of a hospitality package at the club for the season.

• After four years off from the club, he was given a £500 hospitality package and entrance to Tannadice in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018.

Alister Jack – Dumfries and Galloway

One of the Conservative’s gains from the SNP in the 2017 election, Mr Jack serves as the Secretary of State for Scotland under Boris Johnson and previously acted as one of the government’s whips. As arguably the most high profile of all of Scotland’s MPs, he has received thousands in donations since his election.

His outside income includes:• Until his resignation in February 2019, he received £15,000 a year as non-executive chairman and director of Fulling Mill Ltd, which manufactures products for recreational fishermen, a company he owns through his private investment company Atlantic Solway in which he owns a stake of more than 15 per cent. He also owns agricultural land, two cottages and a salmon fishery in Dumfries and Galloway.

Other shareholdings included:• More than 15 per cent stake and a director in Cantco Ltd, which does Lloyds insurance underwriting.• He also owns a stake of 15 per cent or more in Courance Farms, Edinburgh Self Storage Ltd, a fishing app company called Fishfigure Ltd and Mollin HEP Ltd which operates in hydro-electric power.

Mr Jack also had shareholdings worth more than £70,000 in:• Hotspace Health Ltd; wellness studio until February 2019.• The industrial conglomerate Jardine Matheson Holdings until October 2017.• Privet Capital Pyser LP, a supplier of precision optical and electro-optical equipment until September 2019.• Zhongsheng Holdings, an automobile distributor until April 2018.

He still holds shareholdings worth more than £70,000 in:• One Rebel Ltd, a fitness club.• Privet Capital Aeromet LP a supplier of aluminium and magnesium castings.• Three Christmas tree grower businesses, Rars Woodlands (2 and 3) Ltd.• Thomas Murray Network Management Ltd.

Mr Jack has also received thousands in donations.• In June 2017, he received £18,000 in total including donations of £3,000, £5,000, £5,000, and £5,000 from Sir Henry Keswick, P D R Landale, E P K Weatherall, and Stalbury Trustees. The Stalbury Trustees include the Marquess of Salisbury, a former leader of the Conservatives in the House of Lords.

• In May 2018, he received donations of £5,000, £6,000, £2,000, £2,000, £2,500, and £2,500 from James P Jack, John Cooper, Alasdair G Houston, Chippendale S Keswick, Mary Buckly, and Edward P K Weatherall

• In June 2018 he received a donation of £2,000 from Davd D Stevenson. • In March 2019, a donation of £2,000 from John Cooper.• In September 2019 a donation of £5,000 from James Jack.

• In January 2020 following the 2019 general election, he received donations of £5,000 each from Sir Henry Keswick, Chippendale Keswick, and Lady Sarah Keswick. Sir Henry, stood down from the board of his conglomerate Jardine Matheson in 2018, whose companies include the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group with hotels in several capital cities. The family is reportedly worth more than £6bn.

• Mr Jack also receive £5,000 from Simon Hodgson, £2,500 from James Stewart, £2,500 from Willam F Forbes, and a £6,000 donation from John Cooper.

In gifts he received:• Premier League tickets for Chelsea match worth £450 in March 2020 paid for by the Premier League.

Christine Jardine – Edinburgh West

Following the scandal-hit tenure as MP by Michelle Thomson who had been alleged to have bought properties at below market price illegally, something she was never found guilty of, Ms Jardine regained the seat for the Liberal Democrats in 2017. She was briefly the party’s deputy chief whip but now is the spokesperson on Brexit, international trade and the Treasury.

In foreign trips she has declared:• A trip to China in April 2018, paid for by Great Britain China Centre (with sponsorship from BP and Prudential) and the International Liaison Department of the Chinese Communist Party (IDCPC). The purpose was to attend the 2018 UK-China Leadership Forum, organised by the Great Britain China Centre and IDCPC and to engage with Chinese Communist Officials on a broad range of topics and to strengthen UK-China bilateral relations. Worth £2,266 in total.

• In May 2018 she travelled to the West Bank and Israel, paid for by Medical Aid for Palestinians as part of a fact finding visit organised by the Council for Arab-British Understanding and Medical Aid for Palestinians. Worth £1,235.

In free gifts, the Edinburgh West MP has received:• Wimbledon 2017 ticket from All England Tennis Club, worth £224. • A year’s ear’s free membership at National Liberal Club, worth £790 in October 2017.• Tickets and hospitality for Scotland v France at Murrayfield in August 2019, paid for by SRU worth £430. • Tickets and hospitality for Scotland v Georgia at Murrayfield, paid for by SRU in September 2019 worth £350.

In donations she has received:• In July 2017, a donation of £2,000 from Ghill Donald, £5,000 from from millionaire online travel website businessman and creator of Ebookers, Dinesh Dhamija, who was also a Lib Dem MEP for London until Brexit, £2,000 donation from Edinburgh City Councillor John Aldridge, £5,000 from campaign group More United, £5,000 from Lib Dem peer Lord Matthew Oakeshott, £2,500 from Dalriada Energy, and a £5,000 donation from Radix think-tank founder and entrepreneur Joe Zammit-Lucia.

• In January 2020 she received a donation of £2,000 from Piers Pim.

John Lamont – Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk

Another one of the Conservative’s gains from the SNP in 2017, Mr Lamont won his seat by a majority of 5,148, down from its 2017 high of 11,060. He had previously held the Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire seat for the Scottish Tories in Holyrood between 2007 and 2017. He now sits on the Scottish Affairs Committee in Westminster.

His foreign trips include:• In August 2016, a trip to Israel and the West Bank, paid for by Conservative Friends of Israel. He was part of a fact finding delegation for Scot Tory MSPs. The trip was worth £2,000

• In February 2018 he visited Sri Lanka, paid for by Sri Lankan ministry of foreign affairs as a participant in a study tour involving learning about Anglo-Sri Lankan relations, international trade, port city reconstruction, and endangered species.

• In February 2020 he returned to Israel/Palestine, paid for by the Conservative Middle East Council in a trip worth £2,000. It was again part of a fact finding visit to gain a deeper understanding of issues in Israel/Palestine.

In free gifts he has received:• March 2019: Free tickets to England v Scotland at Twickenham, paid for by ITV. Worth £330.

He has received donations including:• After the 2017 election he registered donations of £2,000, £5,000, £2,000, £2,000, £2,000 from Neil Record, Alison Salvesen, Andrew Heller, Ladykirk Estates Ltd, and Mary Coltman.• In April 2019 he received two donations of £5,000 from Merse & Company Ltd, owned by the Jenkinson family, and Miranda Jenkinson.• In October 2019 he received two donations of £2,000 from Stephanie Newitt and Margaret McPherson.• In December 2019 he received donations of £2,000 and £5,000 from Malcolm McPherson and Jill F Bristow.

Chris Law – Dundee West

Elected in 2015, Mr Law’s first role was as SNP spokesperson for climate justice, but he now serves as the party’s spokesperson for international development. He also sits on the international development committee.

Mr Law has had several foreign trips while an MP including:• A trip to the Maldives in July 2016, paid for by the Maldives ministry for foreign affairs. The visit was with the APPG for the Maldives, who met with politicians, political prisoners, and members of the judiciary. Worth £4,634.

• In July 2017, he travelled to Hamburg, paid for by Global Citizen, to attend events around the G20 Summit as SNP spokesperson for climate Justice. Worth £400.

• Visited Tibet in September 2018, paid for by The Office of Tibet in London. The trip included a visit to Central Tibetan Administration headquarters, meetings with political leaders including the President, cabinet members, parliamentarians and speaker of the tibetan parliament in exile, as well as visits to cultural institutions and meetings with NGOs. Worth £963

In terms of free gifts, Mr Law received:• In March 2019, Six Nations tickets paid for by Heineken worth £400.

David Linden – Glasgow East

Won his seat after replacing the incumbent and scandal-hit MP Natalie McGarry with a majority of just 75 votes over Kate Watson of the Labour Party. In 2019, his majority increased to more than 5,000 and he now works as the SNP’s spokesperson for housing, communities and local government.

His foreign trips have included:• In September 2017 travelling to Tanzania, paid for by Results UK for a fact finding mission. It was worth £1,989.• In June 2019 visiting Rome and Geneva, again paid for by Results UK for meetings with officials in his capacity as Chair of the Nutrition for Growth APPG. Worth £960.

Kenny MacAskill – East Lothian

The former justice secretary under Alex Salmond in Holyrood was elected to Westminster for the first time in December 2019. He is part of the party’s justice group and a member of the justice committee, and an ally of the former First Minister.

In outside income he has received:• As a columnist for Scots Magazine, £250 in December 2019 and £220 per month since.• £540 from Biteback Publishing for publishing a book.• £800 from The Scotsman in December 2019 and £200 a week onwards for his weekly column.He has not registered any foreign trips, gifts, or donations.

Angus MacNeil – Na h-Eileanan an Iar

Elected in 2005, Mr MacNeil has served as the chair of the Energy and Climate Change Select Committee until it was abolished in 2016, and as chair of the International Trade Select Committee since 2016. He also sits as a member of the joint committee on the National Security Strategy, and pushed for a full investigation into the Cash for Honours scandal during the Tony Blair premiership.

He is a tenant crofter on the Island of Barra, and owns a house in Fort William, a flat in Glasgow (both of which earn more than £10,000 in rental income) and bought a flat that is rented out in London in 2011. His only other outside income came from the sale of sheep in June 2010 for £800.

During his time in Parliament, Mr MacNeil has travelled widely:• In February 2011, he was taken to Rwanda courtesy of the charity Results UK to examine the impact of tuberculosis and other infectious diseases on the country’s development. The trip was worth £2,634.

• In June 2011, he was taken to Switzerland and Liechtenstein courtesy of Presence Scotland, part of the Swiss government, to learn about the financial, political and business institutions of the two countries. The trip was worth £2,263.

• The Faroe Islands government paid for the MP to come to the islands and be a guest panellist at the Seas of the Future Conference in June 2011, a trip worth £2,320.

• In December 2011, as part of the APPG group on China, he was taken to China to “maintain and strengthen relations between Parliament and the National People’s Congress of China” and learn about British business in the country. The trip, worth £2,654, included a £1,500 flight upgrade courtesy of Virgin Atlantic.

• In 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018, he travelled to Gibraltar, paid for by the Gibraltar government, to celebrate Gibraltar National Day. The trips were worth, in total, £5,597.

• Visited Azerbaijan in 2013, paid for by the European Azerbaijan Society, as part of an APPG trip to the country to meet the president and politicians, and displaced people from the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, an area which Armenia claims.

• In January 2017 he travelled to Hong Kong, paid for by the Hong Kong Government. The trip was to maintain bilateral ties, support British businesses operating in Hong Kong, and deepen the knowledge of parliamentarians of Hong Kong’s political, social and economic development. The trip was worth £10,359.

• In August 2017 he visited Toulouse. All flights, accommodation, transport and hospitality paid for by London City Airport and Airbus with the trip intended to help him understand issues surrounding Airbus regarding Brexit, particularly free movement of people and customs union. The trip was worth £1,100 in total.

In gifts, he received:• Tickets for Barcelona v Celtic and Celtic v Barcelona in 2012 at the Camp Nou, both paid for by Barcelona FC and worth £700.• In February 2018, tickets for a Six Nations match worth £600 paid for by BT.• In March 2019, tickets for Scotland v Wales at Murrayfield plus hospitality, paid for by BT and worth £1,800.• In September 2019, two cricket match tickets paid for by Arora Group (UK-focused private group of companies, which leverages synergies across its specialist property, construction and hotel divisions) worth £498.

Stewart McDonald – Glasgow South

First elected in 2015, Mr McDonald is the SNP's spokesperson for defence and sits on the foreign affairs committee. Other than one trip to Washington DC, he has not registered any outside income, gifts or donations while he has been an MP.

His one foreign trip was in February 2020 and involved a trip to Washington DC, paid for by the Woodrow Wilson internation Centre for Scholars and worth £1,026. He travelled to be a participant in a Defeating Disinformation workshop.

Stuart McDonald – Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East

Other than a house, the MP elected to represent the SNP in 2015 has not registered any outside income, foreign trips or gifts since becoming an MP. He is a member of the home affairs committee and the SNP’s spokesperson for the attorney general and for immigration, asylum and border control.

Anne McLaughlin – Glasgow North East

The SNP’s shadow spokesperson for women and equalities was initially elected in 2015. She lost the next election in 2017 to Labour’s Paul Sweeney by just 242 votes before winning the seat back with a majority of 2,548 in 2019.

Her only registered interest was a staff away day to the Tennent’s Traning Academy in November 2016 worth £559. Otherwise she has not registered any outside income, foreign trips or donations.

John McNally – Falkirk

Elected in 2015, the SNP’s shadow spokesperson for the environment used to earn £600 per month for four hours a week work as a barber. However, that stopped in February 2016. He still holds more than a 15 per cent stake in The Barber Shop. Otherwise he has not registered any outside income, gifts or donations.

Carol Monaghan – Glasgow North West

Elected in 2015, Ms Monaghan serves as the SNP’s spokesperson for education and for the armed forces and veterans. She also sits on the Science and Technology committee. In terms of outside income she received nearly £500 for marking exam papers by the SQA in May 2016.

In September 2017 and 2018, she was part of a group of MPs who travelled to Gibraltar for the country’s national day. Each trip was worth £1,033 and £1,042 respectively and was paid for by the Gibraltar government. She also travelled to to Denver, Colorado, Florida, paid for by Satellite Applications Catapult Ltd to experience the launch of Solar Orbiter and advance MPs’ understanding of the USA’s space programme and UK space policy topics. She used the trip to also visit NASA, US Space Force and UK space companies’ US operations. The trip was worth £6,600.

This data has been compiled based on information publicly accessible on the House of Commons’ Register of Members’ Financial Interests available here.

Because of this, we have not approached any individual MP for comment on this story.

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