UK Lawmakers Accepted Nearly £400,000 in Free Gifts in Seven Months

British lawmakers declared almost £400,000 in free gifts — tickets, meals, and more — between January and July 2026, already beating the roughly £300,000 for all of 2025, The Guardian reports. Gift-givers included banks, a gambling firm, and a music group, all in industries affected by government decisions. Rules on declaring gifts have not tightened since a scandal under Prime Minister Starmer.