Reeves freebie row heats up over VIP Sabrina gig tickets

Rachel Reeves reportedly accepted free tickets to a Sabrina Carpenter concert last week, in a move that threatens to reignite the freebies row that rocked the government last year.

- MILLIE COOKE

According to reports, the chancellor sat in a corporate box last weekend to watch The O2 arena show, for which some resale tickets cost almost £1,000, as the cabinet geared up to announce sweeping cuts to disability benefits.

There is no suggestion that the chancellor broke any rules, as it is not against lobbying rules for ministers to accept free tickets if declared in the normal way. But it comes after months of criticism levelled at the government over accepting freebies, with critics arguing the gifts were an insult to the public during an ongoing cost of living crisis.