It must be great to be an MP. Instead of watching the exciting World Darts Championship on the telly over Christmas, MPs snagged themselves VIP tickets for the sold-out event at Ally Pally.
Labour MP James Frith, who has ironically campaigned for safer gambling, and Tory MP Caroline Nokes, deputy speaker of the House of Commons, were given ‘platinum’ hospitality tickets by Paddy Power worth up to £1,000 each. They apparently include Michelin-star meals, complimentary booze and table service, avoiding the big queues and even bigger prices at the bar that normal punters used.
If darts isn’t your sport, you could become the leader of your party and prime minister and get a box at your football club paid for you to watch Premier League football for free while prices rise for ordinary supporters. And if you’re not into sport at all then maybe free tickets to the hottest gigs in town are of interest, how about Taylor Swift? No Cruel Summer for Starmer as it was for all the Swifties who missed out.
And if you’re worried about what to wear in all these salubrious surroundings, then donors will supply designer clothes too. You could keep them in the wardrobe of your subsidised housing, nice and warm from your subsidised energy and utility bills. Wouldn’t want to eat into your £91,000 pay would you?
As Jim Bowen used to say, you can’t beat a bit of Bully! The rest of us are simply throwing from a different oche.