Bercow’s free football and tennis tickets worth £16,000

SPEAKER John Bercow has accepted sports tickets and hospitality worth more than £16,000 as gifts in the past year.

The sports fan has been treated by four tennis clubs to seats valued at £10,699.20.

Mr Bercow, 55, watched Venus Williams defeat Johanna Konta from Wimbledon’s royal box last July after receiving tickets to the women’s semi-final worth £8,590.

He was a top-ranked tennis player in his youth and has tennis balls on his coat of arms. He was criticised in 2011 for spending £5,400 of taxpayers’ money on the design.

Arsenal supporter Mr Bercow has also accepted £5,429.63 worth of tickets to football matches.

Sporting donations from March 13, 2017, to the same date this year, are listed in his register of gifts, benefits and hospitality, provided by all MPs.

A spokesman for Mr Bercow said all hospitality was declared in accordance with the rules. ‘It is no secret that the Speaker is a keen sports fan,’ he added.