London, UK – The Greater London Authority (GLA) has launched an investigation into Mayor Sadiq Khan over his acceptance of free tickets to a Taylor Swift concert at Wembley Stadium.
The probe follows allegations from Conservative members of the London Assembly that Khan may have breached the GLA’s gifts and hospitality procedures.
The controversy emerged after it was revealed that the mayor’s official declaration of the tickets, which were worth approximately £3,000, was incorrect and delayed.
The six tickets were provided by a private events company, which has previously worked with City Hall, for a concert held on August 15. Khan attended the event in a VIP box alongside five City Hall staff members, including two senior officials.
Tories Push for Investigation
Conservative Assembly Member Susan Hall formally requested the GLA’s monitoring officer, Rory McKenna, to examine whether Khan’s acceptance of the tickets contravened rules regarding gifts and hospitality.
Hall raised concerns about the mayor receiving hospitality from a contractor that has had prior business with City Hall.
“The mayor has appeared to contravene the gifts and hospitality procedure by accepting these tickets and being hosted by a private company linked to City Hall,” Hall stated.
She also questioned whether a legitimate technical issue could have delayed the declaration and why subsequent changes were made to the official register.
The monitoring officer reviewed the complaint and determined that three of the four allegations would not be investigated. However, the inquiry will assess whether Khan exercised “an appropriate level of caution” when accepting the tickets.
Concerns Over Late and Inaccurate Declaration
Hall expressed disappointment that the investigation would not cover other concerns, including the delayed declaration, inaccuracies regarding the donor’s identity, and the alleged undervaluation of the tickets.
“Whilst I welcome an investigation into the propriety of accepting these tickets, after months of asking Khan for answers, I am disappointed that the monitoring officer isn’t considering the fact that the mayor declared these tickets late, initially mis-declared who donated them, that they were undervalued, or that the donor was a GLA contractor,” she said. “More answers are desperately needed.”
City Hall’s Response
A spokesperson for Khan acknowledged the administrative errors in the declaration but maintained that the mayor had acted transparently.
“Any gift accepted by the mayor is declared openly and transparently. In this case, there was an administrative error which was corrected,” the spokesperson said.
They also clarified that the mayor had no direct involvement in the procurement or tendering of contracts for GLA events. “The mayor’s office will continue to ensure all the right processes are followed and looks forward to explaining the approach that was taken in this instance,” the statement added.
Ongoing Scrutiny
The GLA’s decision to investigate Khan over his handling of the Taylor Swift concert tickets comes as London’s political opposition continues to scrutinize the mayor’s decisions.
While the outcome of the inquiry remains uncertain, the case has intensified debate over the transparency and accountability of elected officials when accepting gifts and hospitality.
This article was created using automation technology and was thoroughly edited and fact-checked by one of our editorial staff members
