Taylor Swift: London mayor to be investigated over free tickets

The mayor of London can be investigated by the Better London Authority (GLA) over his acceptance of free tickets to a Taylor Swift live performance.

The Tories within the London Meeting requested the GLA’s monitoring officer to probe a possible breach of the foundations.

It comes after BBC London revealed, in October, his declaration on the official Metropolis Corridor register was incorrect and late.

A spokesperson for Sir Sadiq Khan stated: “Any reward accepted by the mayor is said overtly and transparently. On this case there was an administrative error which was corrected.”

The mayor obtained six tickets value about £3,000 from a non-public occasions firm to observe the American star from a field at Wembley Stadium on 15 August.

There have been 5 different members of Metropolis Corridor employees with him, together with two senior officers.

Conservative Meeting Member Susan Corridor wrote to the GLA’s monitoring officer Rory McKenna, claiming the mayor had appeared to “contravene” the presents and hospitality process.

She stated there have been potential points raised by the mayor receiving hospitality and being hosted within the field by a non-public firm which has labored for Metropolis Corridor.

The Tories requested whether or not there was any purpose a technical fault might have “legitimately prevented a well timed declaration” of the tickets, and why adjustments had been subsequently made on the register.

The monitoring officer was additionally requested to make clear the foundations about accepting presents and hospitality from contractors and exterior suppliers who’ve had contracts with the GLA.

A spokesperson for the GLA stated the monitoring officer reviewed the grievance towards the mayor and wouldn’t be investigating three of the 4 allegations.

It added, an investigation will now happen to ascertain if the mayor “exercised an applicable stage of warning” in deciding to just accept the tickets.

Ms Corridor stated: “While I welcome an investigation into the propriety of accepting these tickets, after months of asking Khan for solutions, I’m disillusioned that the monitoring officer is not contemplating the truth that the mayor declared these tickets late, initially mis-declared who donated them, that they had been undervalued, or that the donor was a GLA contractor.”

“Extra solutions are desperately wanted,” she added.

A spokesperson for Sir Sadiq stated: “The mayor has no involvement within the procurement course of for GLA occasions, nor within the tendering of those contracts.

“The mayor’s workplace will proceed to make sure all the fitting processes are adopted, and appears ahead to explaining the strategy that was taken on this occasion.”