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Paid-for travel · Sponsored visits and events

Who pays for UK MPs to travel

2,533 declared trips and events worth £10,103,312appear 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
520
'Friends of' group trips
325
Think-tank invitations
177
Company-paid trips
205

Foreign-government paymasters

State-actor sponsors paying directly for UK MPs to visit. Ranked by total declared value.

#SponsorTripsTotal value
1Hong Kong Government31£286,310
2Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Qatar23£126,440
3Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of China (Taiwan)24£118,078
4Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar13£92,667
5Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan9£86,443
6Government of India18£80,055
7Taiwanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs12£78,448
8Saudi Arabia Ministry of Foreign Affairs16£75,183
9United Arab Emirates Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA)11£53,400
10Ministry of Defence, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia6£48,177
11Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Qatar8£45,427
12Kingdom of Saudi Arabia5£43,810
13Government of Taiwan11£43,410
14HM Government of Gibraltar21£42,356
15Government of the United Arab Emirates12£42,000
16Kingdom of Bahrain Ministry of Foreign Affairs9£41,844
17Government of United Arab Emirates6£41,666
18Embassy of the State of Qatar9£39,976
19Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sri Lanka4£38,750
20Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Ministry of Foreign Affairs4£37,400

‘Friends of’ groups

Foreign-affinity parliamentary groups paying for member-MP delegations. Often a soft-power channel for the country in question.

#SponsorTripsTotal value
1Conservative Friends of Israel132£285,591
2Labour Friends of Israel61£152,714
3Conservative Friends of Israel Ltd42£112,170
4Conservative Friends of Israel Ltd (CFI Ltd)22£69,098
5Conservative Friends of Israel (CFI Ltd)11£32,530
6Conservative Friends of Ukraine4£27,397
7Northern Ireland Friends of Israel10£24,776
8Labour Friends of Israel Ltd9£23,650
9Conservative Friends of America3£16,134
10Friends of Sinn Fein4£12,639
11Friends of Sinn Féin USA4£10,994
12Conservative Friends of Israel Limited3£9,730
13Liberal Democrats Friends of Israel2£6,621
14Friends of Sinn Féin Canada3£5,383
15Labour Friends of India1£5,000

Think tanks & institutions

#SponsorTripsTotal value
1American Enterprise Institute10£58,945
2Progressive Policy Institute8£56,462
3Hoover Institution2£50,844
4Hudson Institute4£48,909
5UK Office of the Victor Pinchuk Foundation3£33,049
6Heritage Foundation3£26,636
7Children's Investment Fund Foundation8£26,547
8USC Schwarzenegger Institute for State and Global Policy1£23,859
9Pallas Foundation1£17,450
10American Enterprise Institute (AEI)1£16,846
11The PCAA Foundation6£16,698
12The Triarius Foundation2£16,260
13The Varkey Foundation2£16,106
14The Heritage Foundation2£15,680
15The Evan Roberts Institute6£14,590

Recipients · who took the most paid travel

#RecipientTripsTotal value
1The Rt Hon Dr Liam Fox MP47£207,121
2Mr Nigel Farage9£204,049
3Mr Andrew Mitchell MP35£201,620
4The Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss11£124,078
5Tom Tugendhat15£109,521
6Naz Shah MP22£92,754
7Conservative and Unionist Party4£85,389
8Mr Boris Johnson MP6£83,491
9Mr Bob Blackman MP18£81,177
10Labour Party5£75,958
11Mr Crispin Jeremy Rupert Blunt MP21£68,115
12Mr Barry Gardiner MP17£65,503
13The Rt Hon Liam Byrne MP19£65,323
14The Rt Hon Theresa May MP4£62,913
15Oliver Dowden MP6£62,463
16Mr Mark Pritchard MP22£62,154
17David Morris MP19£61,467
18Mr Nigel Evans MP16£61,381
19Mr Andrew Rosindell MP19£61,179
20The Rt Hon George Osborne MP13£59,565
21Mark Garnier MP13£57,134
22The Rt Hon David Lammy MP7£55,528
23Mark Menzies MP15£53,446
24Mr John Mann MP17£51,083
25Ms Alicia Kearns10£50,271
26Mr Virendra Kumar Sharma MP15£50,188
27Mr Tobias Ellwood MP11£49,020
28The Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP9£48,835
29Sir David Amess MP11£48,487
30Mr Michael Gove MP9£48,121

Largest single trips

Paid byForDateValuePurpose
Bassim HaidarMr Nigel Farage2025-11-06£54,921Speaking engagement and charity event
Sasan GhandehariMr Nigel Farage2026-01-21£50,482Speaking engagement
Team Forces Funding LtdAl Carns2025-05-15£47,442As 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 ForumConservative and Unionist Party2009-01-31£43,512Visit by David Cameron and team.
Liberal Party of Australia (Victoria Division)The Rt Hon Theresa May MP2022-02-09£38,700To promote gender diversity in politics and business.
Christopher HarborneMr Nigel Farage2025-01-17£27,617Second inauguration of Donald Trump
Hoover InstitutionKemi Badenoch2025-10-16£27,480To participate in a conference organised by the Hoover Institute.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the State of QatarSir Keir Starmer2023-11-30£25,509Meeting with the Emir of Qatar, travelling from COP28 in Dubai
Christopher HarborneMr Nigel Farage2026-02-19£25,000Humanitarian aid mission
Conservation International do BrasilThe Rt Hon David Lammy MP2023-08-13£24,739Bilateral meetings and visit to Amazon region.
UK Office of the Victor Pinchuk FoundationMr Boris Johnson MP2023-01-18£24,085To participate in the Davos Ukrainian Breakfast.
USC Schwarzenegger Institute for State and Global PolicyJames Cleverly MP2026-01-29£23,859I 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 PartyLabour Party2011-11-29£23,390To 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 InstitutionConservative and Unionist Party2025-10-16£23,364Overseas Trip
Centre for Strategic and International StudiesMr Andrew Mitchell MP2017-04-01£21,158Meetings on international development with Senate and Congress
BRIDGEOliver Dowden MP2025-12-06£20,850Speaker at BRIDGE Summit 2025
Mr Nigel DoughtyLabour Party2011-10-31£20,844Overseas visit
Green Dragon CoalitionThe Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss2024-02-01£19,541To attend a political conference.
Pacific Forum InternationalThe Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss2023-05-06£17,912Attendance at a Pacific Forum meeting on freedom and democracy.
Hudson InstituteTom Tugendhat2025-09-04£17,648Attendance at a conference to discuss the transatlantic alliance.
Singapore GovernmentWes Streeting2023-12-03£17,591To take part in the Lee Kuan Yew Exchange Fellowship meeting Singapore Government officials and learn about their health and social care system.
Pallas FoundationThe Rt Hon John Healey MP2022-10-09£17,450Speech 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 MP2018-09-12£16,846To receive Irving Kristol Award at AEI Annual Dinner.
Conservative Friends of UkraineThe Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss2023-11-27£16,830To attend a variety of political meetings and events.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, QatarMs Alicia Kearns2024-12-05£16,309Attending the Doha Forum and emergency hospitalisation
Australian Labor PartyLabour Party2016-05-14£15,618For two staff members to help out with the election campaign for our sister party in Australia, one returning on 8th July and one returning on 21st July.
Pakistan High CommissionDebbie Abrahams2020-02-18£15,590APPG Kashmir fact finding visit to meet with the leadership, administration, civil society, refugees, UNMOGIP and the British High Commission in Islamabad.Travel and accommodation for me and two members of staff.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sri LankaRanil Jayawardena MP2018-01-02£15,500Participation in a study tour (Anglo-Sri Lankan relations, international trade, port city reconstruction, endangered species).
George CottrellMr Nigel Farage2024-12-14£15,277Personal meeting
David RossMr Boris Johnson MP2019-12-26£15,000Private Holiday
Heritage FoundationThe Rt Hon Dr Liam Fox MP2022-01-05£14,990Keynote speaker at the Awakening Conference
E2 SummitThe Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss2023-10-08£14,212To deliver a speech at Stein Eriksen Lodge.
Mr Anthony WatsonDawn Butler MP2018-04-05£14,200Women and Equalities LGBT fact finding visit.
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Ministry of Foreign AffairsMr Boris Johnson MP2018-09-18£14,000Meeting with regional figures to promote education for women and girls.
Office of International VisitorsStephen Flynn2026-02-21£13,948US 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 ReformistsConservative and Unionist Party2012-08-25£13,415To visit the Republican convention
Mauritius Labour PartySir Geoffrey Cox2024-11-08£13,302invitation 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
Business Council of Co-operatives and Mutuals, AustraliaAndrew Pakes2025-10-21£13,194Speaker at the Business Council of Co-operative and Mutuals [BCCM] Leaders’ Summit in Adelaide. Meetings with Ministers and associated organisations in Canberra in relation to UK and Australian policies for co-operative and mutual businesses.
Forstmann Little & CoThe Rt Hon Jack Straw MP2010-09-25£12,955Attend Forstmann Little Weekend Conference
Palo Alto NetworkStephen Kinnock MP2025-08-12£12,874Palo Alto Networks covered the costs for me to accompany my wife on a team-building trip to Napa Valley, organised for board members and their spouses/partners