Row over gifts accepted by Sunderland councillors

It comes after a motion was submitted to the latest meeting of Sunderland City Council calling for changes around what gifts councillors can accept “to uphold ethical standards and maintain public trust”.

Put forward by Wearside Liberal Democrat representatives, it called for councillors to not accept individual gifts valued over £50 from any individual or organisation.

Additionally, cumulative gifts from the same source would not be able to exceed £100 per civic year.

Other measures called for included prohibiting councillors from accepting any gifts from any company or stakeholder with existing or pending contracts with the city council, including associated subcontractors and affiliates.

It came as Liberal Democrat councillors hit out at Sunderland City Council leader Councillor Michael Mordey for accepting gifts including two Sunderland AFC season tickets for the 2024/25 season and two tickets for Bruce Springsteen’s Stadium of Light concert in May.

The information was published last month as part of the register of interests submitted by councillors.

Labour’s Cllr Mordey responded by accusing the Liberal Democrats of “hypocrisy” and that they were “trying to create a problem when one doesn’t exist”.

He added the local authority already has a “robust system in place” in regards to councillors’ gifts and declarations of them.

The motion was ultimately defeated with 17 votes in favour and 45 against.

Liberal Democrat representative Councillor Stephen O’Brien, in proposing the motion, said it was “not suitable for a leader of any political party of any colour to be accepting gifts of that value”, citing the Bruce Springsteen gig attendance and Sunderland season tickets.

He added: “Anyone, whatever party they are, accepting gifts where people have to spend money of their own, it’s unacceptable.

“If you want to go to a football game, pay for it, if you want to go to a concert pay for it.

“It’s just unacceptable to take gifts when other people have to pay for it, and I can’t see why you can justify it.”

He also referenced how a number of senior national Labour figures, including Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his deputy Angela Rayner, recently received criticism over high-value donations.

Councillor Antony Mullen, Conservative group leader on the council, said his party supported the motion, but noted there were some elements which needed clarification, which Liberal Democrat representatives agreed with.

His Conservative colleague Councillor Dominic McDonough added: “How often have we heard on the internet and on the streets, people saying, you’re all on the take, you’re all out for what you can get.

“This would put a line in the sand and make the public realise that actually we’re not on the take, because we know that, but the public need to know that as well,”

Labour’s Councillor Mordey responded by stating the council already has “a robust system in place” for declaring gifts and what was being asked for was “a solution looking for a problem”.

He added: “If we really think we’re going to pass this motion and the bile that gets shared on a certain Facebook page is all of a sudden going to evaporate, it’s naivety in its extreme.

“In terms of the season ticket, I understand that every leader of the council for about 30 years has been given tickets to the match by the football club, my question would be why now? Why is it all of a sudden an issue now?

“The season ticket is a gift by the football club, they would have a leg to stand on if it was an issue of the council paying for the hospitality, but these are gifts, often times when myself and cabinet members are there, we’re working, we’re representatives of the council.”

The council leader also accused representatives from Wearside Liberal Democrats of “hypocrisy” for attending a Local Government Association conference recently, which he also attended and saw several councillors from the group having “plates of food and numerous drinks”.

Cllr Mordey added: “The absolute hypocrisy to come here and paint themselves as whiter than white is completely ridiculous.

“I don’t think we need to create a system when we have a perfectly robust one in place.”

He also noted gifts and hospitality are claimed by other council leaders across the country.

Labour’s Councillor Martyn Herron added: “We have a very limited time to discuss city and council business, and why are we wasting this time with ill-thought-out motions and posturing like this?”

Councillor Paul Edgeworth, Wearside Liberal Democrats leader, in seconding the motion, added the policy would be about “restoring trust” and accused Labour councillors of “trivialising” the matter.

He said: “We all got into this because we want to serve our communities and our city and make things better for the people who elect us.

“But I think the actions of a minority do give us a bad name, make it look like we’re in it for what we can get for ourselves, and we just shouldn’t be taking hugely expensive free tickets or season tickets that other people have to pay for.

“I think it is a serious issue that people know, it is wrong, and that we should just simply pay for things if we want to go to the Stadium of Light or go to a concert, I don’t think that’s a controversial principle to put into place.”

The motion also called for councillors to record all gifts in a public register within three working days, although nominal-value items under £10 could be reported quarterly in an aggregate summary.

Finally it suggested an annual review of the policy would take place each year by a designated committee and that councillors would undertake mandatory ethics training on the policy upon its implementation.

The comments all came at the full council meeting which took place at City Hall earlier this month (on Wednesday, November 13).