CONSERVATIVE MAYOR SEEKS TO DOUBLE GIFTS AND HOSPITALITY DECLARATION LIMIT; COMMITTEE REJECTS PROPOSAL

A proposal from Mayor Paul Bristow to double the Cambridge and Peterborough Combined Authority’s (CPCA) gifts and hospitality declaration threshold, from £50 to £100, has been rejected after the Liberal Democrats voted against it at the Combined Authority’s Audit and Governance Committee.

The proposal was considered at Thursday's meeting of the Committee. In the meeting it was confirmed that the request came from Mayor Bristow himself. The accompanying paper suggested the change was needed because the Mayor may otherwise have to routinely declare items “which could be argued to be disproportionate in the context of the role.”

However, when pressed by Lib Dem Cllrs, no convincing justification for the increase was provided. The only example offered was that the Mayor might have lunch bought for him, an example that was then conceded may not even breach the existing £50 threshold. No further substantive examples were given.

Cllr Rory Clark (Lib Dem, Castle) said:

“Declarations of gifts and hospitality exist to protect public trust, and the threshold should reflect that. When we’re seeing increasing influence from very wealthy donors in UK politics, doubling the threshold for declaring gifts just felt wrong.

“I am especially concerned that no one could not explain what Mayor Bristow’s change was actually for. I’m glad that the Committee rejected this, but it raises serious questions about why it was proposed at all.”

The Committee voted to reject the proposal, with all the Lib Dem members voting against, whilst the Conservative and Labour members supported the proposal.