Speaker condemns government for holding paid media briefings

In business questions today, Labour MP Clive Efford raised reports that the government has been charging £500 for media briefings.

He said: “So I wonder if she’s going to pop along to the Q&A that the sports minister is holding tonight, where he’s charging £500 for a donation to the Conservative Party to give people a briefing”.

The Speaker joined in the condemnation: “I’m very concerned because everybody on Sky News and every media outlet has had the ability to hear it before this house and I’m sure the leader of the House will agree with me, it should be in this House first, not all of the Sky News.”