REVEALED: Why our MPs received free Forest tickets and trips to Poland and Kenya in 2025

They may earn £93,904 per year as a base salary for their jobs – but some members of parliament also receive other benefits.

MPs in the UK legally have to declare any earnings, gifts or donations they receive in addition to their healthy annual pay packet, with that information available publicly online.

Here’s every penny registered as an interest by the borough’s representatives in 2025.

Michelle Welsh (Sherwood Forest)

Sherwood Forest MP Michelle Welsh (Labour) was previously a Nottinghamshire County Councillor, for the Arnold South ward, and a Gedling Borough Councillor, for the Porchester Ward.

With Michael Payne, she attended this year’s FA Cup semi final between Nottingham Forest and Manchester City at Wembley Stadium. Their tickets – with hospitality – were paid for by the FA, and were worth £550.

Michelle said: “As a lifelong Notts County fan and whose first love was Tommy Johnson after his two Wembley goals in 1991, I can assure you this wasn’t a ticket I went looking for. The invitation came from The Football Association, who I’ve worked with since my teenage years through grassroots football.

“Having coached in communities across Nottinghamshire for Notts County Football in the Community, as a former player and as someone who has supported projects with Nottingham Forest Football in the community in some of the most deprived areas of Nottinghamshire, I fundamentally believe in the power of sport.

“I continue to work closely with the FA on local facilities, including their Calverton base and securing a new 5G pitch for Ollerton, with the venue to be confirmed. I am often offered tickets to events, and this was the only one I accepted, as it was a critical time for local projects and investment in my constituency. It gave me an opportunity to speak to senior figures about expanding grassroots football in Sherwood Forest and about investment that will make a real difference.

“I am a huge football fan, and, while my heart lies at the other side of the Trent, I fully recognise and wholeheartedly appreciate the huge value of what Nottingham Forest does for the local economy and community. They are a fantastic club, and I will always wish them well (except when they are playing Notts, of course).”

Michael Payne (Gedling)

Gedling MP Michael Payne (Labour) holds a number of unpaid positions, including treasurer of St. Mary’s Community Kitchen in Arnold, chair of Friends of Church Lane & St. Mary’s Play Park and Recreation Ground, and LGBT+ Officer of the Gedling Labour Group.

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In the past year he has received a number of donations and gifts , including a trip to Kenya in July worth £4,000. The trip was paid for by the Global Fund to Fight Aids, TB and Malaria, and included visits to healthcare facilities and meetings with the Kenyan government.

In November, he was the beneficiary of a trip to Poland courtesy of the European Jewish Association, worth £727. This included flights, accommodation, food and local transport. The visit was to the commemoration of Kristallnacht at the former concentration camp site of Auschwitz-Birkenau.

He was also in attendance at the FA Cup semi final in May, with his tickets valued at the same price as Ms Welsh’s.

Mr Payne said: “During the 2025 Parliamentary recess, I undertook a two-day working visit to Kenya in my capacity as Co-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on HIV, AIDS and Sexual Health.

“During this visit, I met babies, mothers and children living with HIV and gained first-hand insight into international efforts to save lives from HIV, TB and Malaria, as well as work that directly strengthens and helps protect the UK from future pandemics. I visited hospitals, healthcare facilities and met senior Kenyan government officials. As a direct result of this working visit, I went on to lead cross-party lobbying which helped secure £850 million in UK Government funding for the Global Fund.

Since its founding in 2002, the Global Fund has helped save more than 75 million lives worldwide from HIV, TB and Malaria. I received no personal financial benefit from this working visit and did not personally profit from it.

“In November 2025, I was invited to take part in a two-day cross-party British delegation visit to Poland to attend the 87th anniversary memorial marking Kristallnacht at Auschwitz concentration camp, in remembrance of the victims of Kristallnacht and the Holocaust.

“The working visit also included a full-day joint session with faith, community and political leaders from across Europe focused on addressing the growing threat of antisemitism. As part of this programme, I was proud to meet and stand shoulder to shoulder with Rabbi Daniel Walker of Heaton Park Synagogue, in the immediate aftermath of the Manchester terrorist attack in which two British Jews tragically died.

He added: “I received no personal financial benefit from this working visit and did not personally profit from it.

“On 27 April 2025, I was invited by the Football Association to attend the FA Cup Semi-Final in which Nottingham Forest were competing. During pre-match lunch, I met with senior representatives from national governing bodies for grassroots sport and used the opportunity to press the case for increased investment in grassroots football and wider sports provision in Gedling.

“I am pleased that Gedling has now been recognised as a priority area for investment by the Football Foundation. Nottingham Forest is a club with long-standing historic links to our local communities, including valuable work delivered through its community trust.

He added:I assess all invitations on a strict case-by-case basis and have attended no other sporting or cultural events than this one in my capacity as a Member of Parliament.”