Qatar showers British MPs with lavish gifts ahead of World Cup

• By Al Mayadeen English 

British MPs were paid a lot of money by the Qatari government to stir attention away from the country's poor record in human rights.

A study conducted by the Observer and reported by The Guardian reveals that in the past year, Qatar has spent more money on gifts and trips, stays in lavish hotels, business class flights, and free-of-charge attendance to special events for British MPs than any other country.

From October 2021 to October 2022, Qatar spent an amount of £251,208 in gifts to members of the British parliament, an amount that surpasses what 15 other countries spent in donations combined together to British MPs. 

This is sixfold what the UAE had spent (£37,661) in gifts and hospitality given to MPs, the second-highest foreign government donor.

In the last five years that transpired to October 2021, MPs declared about £100,000 worth of gifts and hospitality, but more than double that in the last year alone. 

Observers consider this to be a clear show of ramping up efforts to "charm" British MPs ahead of the World Cup.

According to Transparency International, it was "extremely concerning" that MPs were accepting "thousands of pounds worth of hospitality from foreign governments with questionable human rights records" and that this could "leave the door open to undue influence."

The government of Qatar declined to comment upon request. 

Some of the MPs who received gifts later spoke about Qatar in a positive light in parliamentary debates, stirring attention away from the country's poor record in human rights.

For instance, Alun Cairns, who is a Tory MP for the Vale of Glamorgan and chairs an informal parliamentary group set up to "foster good relations between the UK and Qatar," issued a speech in which he praised Qatar and paid tribute to its humanitarian response to the crisis in Afghanistan.

The speech which was made on October 20 was later shared on social media alongside a quote from Nelson Mandela that reads: "Sport has the power to change the world."

In 2022, Cairns declared he received £9,323 worth of donations from the Qatari government.

In February, he met with officials and members of the Qatar all-party parliamentary group (APPG). He traveled again in March to attend the Doha Forum policy event.

David Mundell, who chairs the APPG, declared he had received £7,473 in hospitality donations from Qatar last October.

During an interview for Qatar’s state-run agency, he called "baseless" the accusations on Qatar's record on violations of migrant workers' rights. 

A few weeks prior, the International Labour Organization had found that "despite milestones being reached" on worker rights in Qatar, there were "gaps in implementation." 

The organization also reported that in the year 2020, 50 workers in Qatar had lost their lives with over 500 severely injured and 37,600 suffering mild to moderate injuries.

The declaration of interests of both Cairns and Mundell was addressed during a parliamentary debate. Mundell failed to respond to requests for comment. As for Cairns, a statement from the Qatar APPG which was issued via the MP said the group played an "active role in scrutinizing all aspects of UK-Qatar relations, including human rights, ethics, education, energy and infrastructure."

According to an analysis of the declarations of the MPs' register of interests, a total of 34 MPs declared they received 40 donations from Qatar since last year. 22 out of 34 are Tories, whereas 7 are Labour, 3 are SNP, and the remaining two are Independent. 

The money was largely spent on trips for members of the APPG to meet with Qatari ministers and officials, paying up to £7,000 to £8,000 per head, allegedly to discuss "preparations for the World Cup, workers’ rights reform and bilateral relations," as well as Qatar’s "humanitarian and political response to the Afghanistan crisis."

The goal is clear: Qatar wants to improve its reputation around the world, and it has done so against a backdrop of heavy criticism which the Qatari Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, has called "unprecedented" on October 25.

In recent years, ties between the countries have strengthened. In May, former Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a "strategic investment partnership" which will see Qatar pour money into key sectors of the British economy over the next five years.

Fintech, life sciences, and cybersecurity are some of the key target industries prone to investment, and Downing Street said the deal would create new UK jobs and was worth up to £10bn.

Shortly after, the Ministry of Defense announced it would launch a program to provide Qatar’s military with training for counter-terrorism ahead of the World Cup. The RAF and Royal Navy will likewise provide air and sea support during the games.