The education secretary rejected suggestions that Labour have been “hypocritical” over the freebies row this morning.
The party has faced intense backlash during its first 100 days in government after senior Labour figures declared the extensive amount of gifts – including free tickets to see Taylor Swift in concert – they’ve accepted from donors.
It comes after the party repeatedly slammed the former government, the Conservatives, over cronyism and for not being transparent with the public.
But on Times Radio this morning, cabinet minister Bridget Phillipson defended her party in the row over the conduct of Labour’s top team.
Presenter Aasmah Mir said: “Many people think that the people within the Labour government are being hypocritical.
“I think you said yourself about the tickets, that they were declared the Taylor Swift tickets but ‘I do recognise that I’m in a fortunate position to be able to receive it’.”
Phillipson replied: “Of course I do. I do recognise I’m in a very privileged position, a very fortunate position.
“But I reject the wider suggestion that you have put to me.
“And I can absolutely tell you that every single day, what matters most to me is the work that we are doing as a government to support our children and families.
“And that’s what’s upmost in my mind every day.”
Phillipson also had her 40th birthday party paid for by Labour donor Lord Alli.
So Mir pushed: “So you feel that there is no hypocrisy in the Labour government?”
Phillipson replied: “I don’t accept that.
“But I can understand how, when lots of people would look at that, they would see it in a certain way.
“I completely understand that we have responsibilities as politicians, which I followed and honoured in terms of my responsibilities in line with the rules.”
When later asked on Good Morning Britain if she would be paying the value for the free tickets to a Taylor Swift concert she received, as her boss Keir Starmer did, the minister said no.
“The prime minister was clear that was a personal choice for him, I haven’t done so but I can say to you that I won’t be accepting such gifts in the future,” Phillipson replied.