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Louise Thomas
Editor
Angela Rayner’s trip to an Ibiza nightclub where she was spotted partying in a DJ booth over the summer was a freebie worth hundreds of pounds, it has emerged.
In the latest register of MPs’ financial interests revealed on Wednesday, the deputy prime minister declared she received £836 worth of hospitality for a “visit to (a) DJ booth” at nightclub Hi Ibiza.
It was paid for by Ayita LLC, which is the agent of DJ Fisher, who she was filmed dancing with in footage of the event on 29 August that was shared on social media.
The Telegraph reports that Ms Rayner did pay for flights and accomodation herself during the four-day visit.
Ms Rayner was filmed jumping and dancing behind DJ decks with Fisher and Denise Van Outen as smoke cannons erupted at the venue.
Footage posted to the Ms Van Outen’s Instagram page showed what she described as a “surprise DJ booth rave up” with the deputy prime minister.
Ms Rayner wore a red dress as she partied with the Australian music producer, singing along to a dance remix of Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know.”
After some criticised Ms Rayner over the video, she told Sky News: “I take my job really seriously, and I’m always in parliament doing what needs to be done,” she told Sky News.
“You’ve got to have downtime… I’m working class, I like a dance.”
News of the declaration comes as Sir Keir Starmer paid back more than £6,000 worth of gifts and hospitality he received since entering Number 10.
The prime minister and other cabinet members – who vowed to “clean up” British politics – have faced weeks of criticism for accepting tens of thousands of pounds worth of freebies from wealthy donors.
Sir Keir has now committed to overhauling hospitality rules for ministers to ensure better transparency about what is provided following the backlash.
The Conservatives accused Sir Keir of only being transparent when “his back’s against the wall” and questioned why other senior members of Government such as his deputy Ms Rayner were not repaying gifts as well.
Meanwhile, Labour peer Lord Waheed Alli is under investigation over alleged non-registration of interests that could lead to a possible breach of the members’ code of conduct.
The fashion mogul, who has been at the centre of the freebies controversy, is being probed by the Lords’ commissioner.
