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Paid-for travel · Sponsored visits and events
Who pays for UK MPs to travel
1,759 declared trips and events worth £6,910,568appear on the Electoral Commission register as non-cash donations with a purpose-of-visit. These are sponsored visits: foreign governments, think tanks, lobby groups and individuals paying for MPs to travel, attend conferences, or meet heads of state. The single largest paymasters are Hong Kong’s government, Conservative Friends of Israel and Labour Friends of Israel; the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Qatar, Taiwan, Saudi Arabia, India and Japan all appear in the top tier.
Foreign-government trips
383
'Friends of' group trips
219
Think-tank invitations
108
Company-paid trips
158
Foreign-government paymasters
State-actor sponsors paying directly for UK MPs to visit. Ranked by total declared value.
| # | Sponsor | Trips | Total value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hong Kong Government | 30 | £280,300 |
| 2 | Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of China (Taiwan) | 20 | £100,068 |
| 3 | Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Qatar | 16 | £85,571 |
| 4 | Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar | 11 | £80,467 |
| 5 | Government of India | 18 | £80,055 |
| 6 | Saudi Arabia Ministry of Foreign Affairs | 12 | £62,435 |
| 7 | Ministry of Defence, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia | 6 | £48,177 |
| 8 | United Arab Emirates Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) | 11 | £46,900 |
| 9 | Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan | 5 | £44,357 |
| 10 | Kingdom of Saudi Arabia | 5 | £43,810 |
| 11 | Government of United Arab Emirates | 6 | £41,666 |
| 12 | Embassy of the State of Qatar | 8 | £37,096 |
| 13 | Government of the United Arab Emirates | 10 | £35,000 |
| 14 | Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Qatar | 6 | £33,804 |
| 15 | Ministry of External Affairs, Republic of China (Taiwan) | 9 | £32,400 |
| 16 | Government of Taiwan | 8 | £32,010 |
| 17 | Government of Qatar | 10 | £31,892 |
| 18 | Cayman Islands Government Office in the United Kingdom | 4 | £30,542 |
| 19 | Government of Pakistan | 10 | £30,483 |
| 20 | US Embassy | 3 | £25,738 |
‘Friends of’ groups
Foreign-affinity parliamentary groups paying for member-MP delegations. Often a soft-power channel for the country in question.
| # | Sponsor | Trips | Total value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Conservative Friends of Israel | 98 | £214,591 |
| 2 | Labour Friends of Israel | 52 | £129,561 |
| 3 | Conservative Friends of Israel Ltd | 19 | £57,600 |
| 4 | Conservative Friends of Israel Ltd (CFI Ltd) | 11 | £34,370 |
| 5 | Northern Ireland Friends of Israel | 10 | £24,776 |
| 6 | Conservative Friends of Israel (CFI Ltd) | 6 | £16,430 |
| 7 | Conservative Friends of America | 2 | £12,018 |
| 8 | Conservative Friends of Israel Limited | 3 | £9,730 |
| 9 | Friends of Sinn Féin USA | 3 | £7,625 |
| 10 | Labour Friends of India | 1 | £5,000 |
| 11 | Labour Friends of Israel Ltd | 2 | £5,000 |
| 12 | Conservative Friends of Bangladesh | 2 | £4,800 |
| 13 | Friends of Sinn Fein | 2 | £3,721 |
| 14 | Friends of Sinn Féin Canada | 2 | £3,534 |
| 15 | Conservative Friends of Ukraine | 1 | £2,946 |
Think tanks & institutions
| # | Sponsor | Trips | Total value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hoover Institution | 2 | £50,844 |
| 2 | UK Office of the Victor Pinchuk Foundation | 3 | £33,049 |
| 3 | Progressive Policy Institute | 4 | £31,424 |
| 4 | American Enterprise Institute | 5 | £23,989 |
| 5 | USC Schwarzenegger Institute for State and Global Policy | 1 | £23,859 |
| 6 | Pallas Foundation | 1 | £17,450 |
| 7 | American Enterprise Institute (AEI) | 1 | £16,846 |
| 8 | The Triarius Foundation | 2 | £16,260 |
| 9 | The Heritage Foundation | 2 | £15,680 |
| 10 | Chartered Institute of Arbitrators | 2 | £14,170 |
| 11 | The PCAA Foundation | 4 | £10,368 |
| 12 | The Varkey Foundation | 1 | £9,830 |
| 13 | Shafik Gabr Foundation | 5 | £9,180 |
| 14 | International Institute for Strategic Studies | 2 | £9,173 |
| 15 | Yunus Emre Institute & ITSEB | 2 | £9,157 |
Recipients · who took the most paid travel
| # | Recipient | Trips | Total value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mr Andrew Mitchell MP | 20 | £106,322 |
| 2 | The Rt Hon Dr Liam Fox MP | 27 | £102,636 |
| 3 | Mr Nigel Farage | 5 | £101,207 |
| 4 | Conservative and Unionist Party | 4 | £85,389 |
| 5 | Mr Boris Johnson MP | 6 | £83,491 |
| 6 | Mr Bob Blackman MP | 12 | £63,941 |
| 7 | The Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss | 6 | £61,325 |
| 8 | Labour Party | 4 | £60,340 |
| 9 | Mr Crispin Jeremy Rupert Blunt MP | 18 | £60,275 |
| 10 | Mr Barry Gardiner MP | 14 | £58,051 |
| 11 | The Rt Hon Theresa May MP | 3 | £55,302 |
| 12 | Mr Nigel Evans MP | 13 | £53,676 |
| 13 | Mr Andrew Rosindell MP | 13 | £48,547 |
| 14 | Al Carns | 1 | £47,442 |
| 15 | The Rt Hon David Lammy MP | 5 | £47,238 |
| 16 | David Morris MP | 13 | £42,856 |
| 17 | Mr Mark Pritchard MP | 14 | £41,638 |
| 18 | The Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP | 7 | £40,926 |
| 19 | Mr Alok Sharma MP | 5 | £39,663 |
| 20 | Oliver Dowden MP | 4 | £39,447 |
| 21 | The Rt Hon Stephen R O'Brien MP | 10 | £38,948 |
| 22 | The Rt Hon George Osborne MP | 9 | £37,442 |
| 23 | The Rt Hon Clare Short MP | 15 | £37,437 |
| 24 | Mr John Mann MP | 12 | £37,249 |
| 25 | The Rt Hon Liam Byrne MP | 10 | £37,187 |
| 26 | Tom Tugendhat | 6 | £37,022 |
| 27 | Mr Daniel Kawczynski MP | 10 | £36,558 |
| 28 | James Cleverly MP | 4 | £36,546 |
| 29 | Mr Mike Gapes MP | 7 | £34,262 |
| 30 | Sir David Amess MP | 8 | £34,184 |
Largest single trips
| Paid by | For | Date | Value | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bassim Haidar | Mr Nigel Farage | 2025-11-06 | £54,921 | Speaking engagement and charity event |
| Team Forces Funding Ltd | Al Carns | 2025-05-15 | £47,442 | As part of a team of four UK veterans, I undertook a record breaking, speed ascent of Mount Everest in under a week. Their purpose was to unify the military community, raise awareness of the overwhelmingly positive contribution of veterans, and to raise cr |
| World Economic Forum | Conservative and Unionist Party | 2009-01-31 | £43,512 | Visit by David Cameron and team. |
| Liberal Party of Australia (Victoria Division) | The Rt Hon Theresa May MP | 2022-02-09 | £38,700 | To promote gender diversity in politics and business. |
| Hoover Institution | Kemi Badenoch | 2025-10-16 | £27,480 | To participate in a conference organised by the Hoover Institute. |
| Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar | Sir Keir Starmer | 2023-11-30 | £25,509 | Meeting with the Emir of Qatar, travelling from COP28 in Dubai |
| Christopher Harborne | Mr Nigel Farage | 2026-02-19 | £25,000 | Humanitarian aid mission |
| Conservation International do Brasil | The Rt Hon David Lammy MP | 2023-08-13 | £24,739 | Bilateral meetings and visit to Amazon region. |
| UK Office of the Victor Pinchuk Foundation | Mr Boris Johnson MP | 2023-01-18 | £24,085 | To participate in the Davos Ukrainian Breakfast. |
| USC Schwarzenegger Institute for State and Global Policy | James Cleverly MP | 2026-01-29 | £23,859 | I visited Los Angeles and Sacramento accompanied by Lady Cleverly, as the guests of The Schwarzenegger Institute for State and Global Policy. I was invited as a fellow and guest lecturer and to meet with the British and American Business Council, as well a |
| Australian Labor Party | Labour Party | 2011-11-29 | £23,390 | To observe and contribute to the Congress of the Australian Labour Party. Information exchange with with the ALC on campaigning, policy development etc. Meetings with sister parties from Norway, Italy etc also present at the Congress |
| Hoover Institution | Conservative and Unionist Party | 2025-10-16 | £23,364 | Overseas Trip |
| BRIDGE | Oliver Dowden MP | 2025-12-06 | £20,850 | Speaker at BRIDGE Summit 2025 |
| Mr Nigel Doughty | Labour Party | 2011-10-31 | £20,844 | Overseas visit |
| Green Dragon Coalition | The Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss | 2024-02-01 | £19,541 | To attend a political conference. |
| Pallas Foundation | The Rt Hon John Healey MP | 2022-10-09 | £17,450 | Speech at the Wilson Center, policy discussions and briefings with US Government officials, officials from Congress, think tanks and industry |
| American Enterprise Institute (AEI) | Mr Boris Johnson MP | 2018-09-12 | £16,846 | To receive Irving Kristol Award at AEI Annual Dinner. |
| David Ross | Mr Boris Johnson MP | 2019-12-26 | £15,000 | Private Holiday |
| E2 Summit | The Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss | 2023-10-08 | £14,212 | To deliver a speech at Stein Eriksen Lodge. |
| Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Ministry of Foreign Affairs | Mr Boris Johnson MP | 2018-09-18 | £14,000 | Meeting with regional figures to promote education for women and girls. |
| Office of International Visitors | Stephen Flynn | 2026-02-21 | £13,948 | US Department of State International Visitor Leadership Programme Numerous engagements in the United States of America with various stakeholders operating in the energy and economy sectors. |
| The Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists | Conservative and Unionist Party | 2012-08-25 | £13,415 | To visit the Republican convention |
| Mauritius Labour Party | Sir Geoffrey Cox | 2024-11-08 | £13,302 | invitation of the Mauritius Labour Party, to observe and monitor the general election, to hold discussions with members of the incoming government and to witness the transition of power to the new government |
| Forstmann Little & Co | The Rt Hon Jack Straw MP | 2010-09-25 | £12,955 | Attend Forstmann Little Weekend Conference |
| Temasek Holdings | The Rt Hon Gordon Brown MP | 2011-09-25 | £12,752 | Airfare, accommodation and other travel paid to travel to Singapore on 26 September to address the Temasek International Panel |
| Flying Lion Ltd | Mr Andrew Mitchell MP | 2007-04-15 | £12,465 | not recorded |
| Muslim World League | Mr Rehman Chishti MP | 2023-06-12 | £12,280 | Invited to speak at an event at the UN, at a Conference hosted by the Muslim World League with faith leaders, Representatives from the UN, Academia, USA Government, NGOS, Civil Society. |
| Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan | Ranil Jayawardena MP | 2018-08-04 | £12,209 | As a member of the APPG on Japan, participation in a study tour (Anglo-Japanese relations, international trade, defence, technology). |
| Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of Japan | Mr Ross Thomson | 2018-08-04 | £12,208 | Bettering understanding of Japan, its history and culture. Strengthening the trade, economic, educational and historical ties between Aberdeen and Japan. |
| Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan | Mr Christopher Green | 2018-08-04 | £12,201 | Fact finding visit concerning British-Japanese relations, particularly over cooperation in trade and security matters. |
| Coalition for Conservation | Mr Alok Sharma MP | 2023-08-13 | £12,082 | To attend and speak at the Coalition for Conservation International Climate Conference. |
| Hawksmoor Technology Advisors Ltd | The Rt Hon Matthew Hancock MP | 2022-05-15 | £11,638 | To attend the Permissionless Experience conference. |
| Keith Rupert Murdoch | Mr Boris Johnson MP | 2022-10-10 | £11,560 | Business meeting |
| L88 | The Rt Hon Shaun Woodward MP | 2013-03-19 | £11,500 | To attend a briefing meeting and to speak at a meeting organised to mark the visit of Havel Fellows from the Czech Republic. |
| Credit Suisse | Alex Salmond MP | 2016-04-20 | £11,387 | invited to be the guest speaker at Global Megatrends Conference. |
| The International Siddhashram Shakti Centre | Mr Bob Blackman MP | 2018-02-11 | £11,300 | To meet with political figures in India and attend a Delhi World Peace and Harmony Event with youth leaders. |
| Dreamax Healthcare Private Limited | Mr Bob Blackman MP | 2026-01-02 | £11,000 | Speaking at a conference in the Constitutional Club in Jaipur about improving UK-India relations in general and UK-Rajasthan relations in particular. 1:1 meetings with the Deputy Chief Minister; the Speaker of the Assembly; and meetings with members of the |
| Ministry of Law, Singapore | Mr Damian Collins MP | 2023-09-23 | £11,000 | To speak at and attend the Online Harms Symposium organised by the Ministry of Law. |
| Lord David Sainsbury | Peter Kyle MP | 2024-02-02 | £10,907 | Meetings with political counterparts in Washington, as well as tech and digital firms on the West Coast |
| Global Citizen | Mr Alok Sharma MP | 2023-04-25 | £10,862 | To attend and speak at the Global Citizen NOW conference |
Source: Electoral Commission donations register, purpose_of_visit field. These are non-cash benefits declared as donations because they have material value to the recipient. Distinct from the central-government ministers’ hospitality feed, which only covers in-office ministerial activity.