Politicians slammed over £300,000 freebies from UAE including flights and football tickets.TA
The club has been found guilty of 114 out of 115 charges after an investigation into the its finances.
Lucy Powell is one of the MPs who has accepted gifts (Image: Getty)
Labour politicians have accepted just under £300,000 in freebies from the United Arab Emirates and the Middle Eastern state’s Premier League football club, Manchester City, an investigation has found. The party’s deputy leader, Lucy Powell, enjoyed an £840 VIP ticket to a game, the Sun revealed. The club was found guilty by an independent panel of 114 out of 115 charges after an investigation into the its finances. Sheikh Mansour, Vice President of the UAE, bought City in 2008. Records show Labour MPs accepted about £275,000 in trips offered by the Arab nation.
They were also given £14,000 worth of tickets and hospitality from Manchester City. Ms Powell, who was brought back into the Cabinet by Andy Burnham — the former Mayor of Greater Manchester — is the MP for Manchester Central, the constituency that City’s Etihad Stadium is located in.
She accepted free tickets to five matches over 11 months, worth £2,360. Andrew Western, Labour MP for Stretford and Urmston, went to four matches, including two VIP tickets to the Community Shield match at Wembley in 2024, which were worth £880.
The MP for Manchester Withington, Jeff Smith, went to see City four times — including the FA Cup Final in 2024. His ticket was worth £1,798. Sir Keir Starmer got a £900 ticket to watch City face his team, Arsenal, in March 2024.
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William Yarwood, Campaigns Director at the TaxPayers’ Alliance, told the Sun: “Taxpayers will be concerned to hear that politicians are receiving gifts that may lead to conflicts of interest. Against the backdrop of ongoing scrutiny of UAE-backed Manchester City, politicians dining at the club’s expense raises serious questions about foreign influence and transparency.
“Politicians who are elected to serve taxpayers must uphold the highest standards of integrity and avoid any conflicts of interest.”
Labour is not the only party to have accepted freebies, as, since 2012, the UAE has spent £467,000 on at least 78 entries into MPs’ Register of Interests.
Manchester City has been found guilty of financial rule breaches (Image: Getty)
Mr Burnham’s party recorded £275,000 for 25 MPs. The SNP recorded £15,000 across four entries, the Liberal Democrats £3,500 and Reform UK £1,000.
City coach Enzo Maresca insisted the club’s titles had not been tainted as he stated his unwavering trust in the club today. The Italian said he is confident City will win its appeal.
Maresca did not fully commit to remaining at the Etihad Stadium should the appeal fail, but stressed he was not looking that far ahead. “The reason why I joined this club is because I completely trust, 100%, the owner, the CEO, the sporting director, the whole organisation,” he said.
“I don’t have any doubt about that. There is not another club in the world where I would like to be. I am very happy to be here, I am very proud, as I’ve said since day one. I would like to speak about this situation when we are going to win the appeal. I completely trust the club in this moment, in the future, always.”
NHS major vaccine rollout for pensioners aged 65 to 74 continues in October
The RSV vaccine rollout started in September.
Adults aged between 65 and 74 years in certain clinical at risk groups are to be offered the RSV jab (Image: Getty)
NHS England and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) are continuing a major vaccine rollout for older adults in October to protect against Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV).
The NHS RSV vaccination programme got underway on September 1 and this year is being expanded to include adults aged 65 to 74 years in certain clinical at risk groups. The RSV vaccine has been routinely available to older adults as they turn 75 since September 2024 and was later extended to include all adults aged 80 and over, as well as all residents in care homes in April 2026. But following advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), a further expansion this year has now extended the eligibility criteria even further to include adults aged 65 to 74 years.
NHS England and the UKHSA confirmed the RSV vaccine expansion back in July, stating that GPs will offer the jab to those who are eligible from September 1, meaning the rollout is now underway.
RSV is a common cause of coughs and colds and while it usually gets better by itself, it can cause severe illness for babies and older adults over the age of 75.
Those who are infected with RSV typically experience cold-like symptoms including a runny or blocked nose, a cough, sneezing, tiredness and a high temperature, but it can also lead to more serious infections like pneumonia or bronchiolitis.
The RSV vaccination is available on the NHS for free to eligible groups, which can help reduce the risk of becoming seriously ill from the infection. You can currently get the jab if:
- you’re 28 weeks pregnant or more
- you’re aged 75 or over
- you live in a care home for older adults
But as of September 1, 2026, adults aged 65 to 74 and in either of the following clinical at risk groups will become eligible to get the RSV vaccine:
1. Chronic respiratory disease including those with:
- poorly controlled asthma
- chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including chronic bronchitis and emphysema
- bronchiectasis
- cystic fibrosis
- interstitial lung fibrosis
- pneumoconiosis
- bronchopulmonary dysplasia
2. Immunosuppression due to disease or treatment.
Confirming the expansion in a letter in July, Caroline Temmink, director of vaccination at NHS England, and Dr Mary Ramsay CBE, director of public health programmes (including immunisation) at the UKHSA, said: “From 1 September 2026, the eligibility criteria will be expanded further to include adults aged 65 to 74 years in certain clinical at risk groups as advised by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).” This includes people with:
- chronic respiratory disease
- immunosuppression due to disease or treatment
The pair set out key points about the programme, including:
- the vaccine used in the programme will continue to be Abrysvo® (Pfizer pre-F vaccine) on a one-dose schedule. Adults who receive the vaccine from 1 September 2026 because they are aged 65 to 74 years old and in a clinical risk group should not be invited for a further dose of Abrysvo® when they become 75 years old
- RSV vaccines can be administered at any time and offers of vaccination should continue throughout the year. RSV vaccination should not be routinely scheduled with influenza vaccination but can be co-administered with the COVID-19 vaccine
- GP providers are expected to deliver a 100% offer to eligible groups, with call and recall delivered at the earliest opportunity
- where community pharmacies have been commissioned to support the older adults RSV programme, an updated enhanced service specification will be issued ahead of 1 September, and commissioned community pharmacies will be invited by regions to enter a contract variation.”
If you’re aged 65 to 74 and have a weakened immune system or long-term lung conditions, your GP surgery will contact you about getting the RSV vaccine and this will usually be by letter, phone call or email.
The vaccine is given as an injection in your upper arm and older adults only need one dose, which should protect them for several years, according to the NHS.
