Awkward photos show James Cleverly's wife was at freebie despite record saying she wasn't

James Cleverly watched the Wimbledon men's last with his woman Susannah past twelvemonth - but the authoritative declaration of the freebie states she wasn't there, The Mirror discovered

Awkward photos amusement James Cleverly enjoying a Wimbedon freebie with his woman - contempt declaring she wasn't there.

The Tory enactment contender and woman Susannah accepted tickets for the men's singles last past year. But an official Government record states helium didn't bring immoderate household members oregon friends with him.

Pictures uncovered by The Mirror amusement Mr Cleverly sitting side-by-side with his woman watching Carlos Alcaraz look Novak Djokovic connected July 16 past year. The then-Foreign Secretary besides had luncheon successful the President's Suite arsenic a impermanent of the Lawn Tennis Association.

A Tory loophole meant helium didn't person to state the outgo of the time out. The exemption applies to hospitality and gifts accepted by ministers linked to their duties - though it's not wide however attending Wimbledon related to his job.

The authoritative hospitality grounds released by the Foreign Office states "no" successful the conception asking whether a spouse, household subordinate oregon pal joined him. In the photos Mrs Cleverly is shown successful a pinkish apical and sunglasses sitting adjacent to her husband, wearing a grey suit and shades, supra Centre Court.

The Mirror has contacted Mr Cleverly's bureau for an explanation. It comes amid a backlash implicit rules that mean ministers tin debar declaring the outgo of hospitality and gifts.

Other freebies declared by Mr Cleverly done Government departments see tickets to a Six Nations rugby match, a movie premiere and a meal celebrating a caller creation exhibition. As these were declared done the Government departments helium headed - the Foreign Office and the Home Office - a loophole brought successful by David Cameron means the worth doesn't person to beryllium declared.

As Foreign Secretary Mr Cleverly accepted the Wimbledon tickets arsenic good arsenic a movie premiere summons from Warner Bros successful February 2023. His bureau declined to accidental which movie Mr Cleverly watched, but Warner Bros releases astir that clip included Magic Mike's Last Dance, Mummies, Creed III and Shazam! Fury of the Gods.

After becoming Home Secretary successful November 2023 helium was talented a brace of tickets by Sky for a Six Nations lucifer betwixt England and Wales successful February this year. In the aforesaid month, helium and a impermanent enjoyed a backstage meal to people the opening of the John Singer Sargent and Fashion accumulation astatine Tate Britain.

Rules brought successful backmost successful 2015 mean that erstwhile Government frontbenchers person hospitality successful their ministerial capacity, details are published by departments alternatively than connected the transparency registry for idiosyncratic MPs. Crucially this doesn't person to see the worth of the freebie.

A spokesperson for the Tory enactment contender said: 'Everything has been declared successful accordance with the rules." Hospitality offered via Government departments is received and cleared by officials, and can't beryllium declared by an MP's Parliamentary office.

Labour has pledged to abolish this loophole. Cabinet Office curate Pat McFadden said the ministerial codification volition beryllium rewritten to forestall the worth of freebies being concealed. He said: “This was a Tory loophole, brought successful truthful that you would person an lawsuit wherever the Tory minister, arsenic it was nether the past government, [was] there, the Labour shadiness other fig would besides beryllium there, and the Tory curate would not person to declare.

“That was the Tory rules, we don’t deliberation that’s fair, truthful we volition adjacent that loophole truthful ministers and shadiness ministers are treated the aforesaid going forward.” A Government root said: “Keir Starmer is committed to restoring spot successful politics.

“That’s wherefore erstwhile you spot the adjacent variation of the ministerial codification it volition adjacent the Tory declaration loophole, due to the fact that this Government is committed to being much upfront and unfastened than our predecessors.”

On Tuesday Mr Cleverly said helium wouldn't halt accepting gifts. He told an assemblage astatine the Tory Party Conference: "I volition judge gifts each present and then. The occupation is not the accepting of gifts, peculiarly if those gifts are decently declared.

“The occupation is the stench of hypocrisy, due to the fact that portion (Keir Starmer) was accepting those gifts helium was attacking america for accepting gifts.”