Fresh analysis of donations to support Devon’s MPs has revealed the scale of financial backing for the county’s Parliamentarians and who bagged the best gifts and hospitality.
Sitting at the top of the list for registered donations is Labour’s Plymouth Moor View MP, Fred Thomas, thanks to a host of individual donations and union contributions, with Conservative member, Sir Mel Stride MP, coming in second.
Exeter Labour MP, Steve Race, was one of the lowest on the list for registered donations, but did snag two tickets to Harry Styles at Wembley Stadium as a guest for PRS for Music, while Conservative South West Devon MP, Rebecca Smith, whose donations are also at the lower end, has registered two tickets to the British Grand Prix from Silverstone Circuits Limited among her three registered gifts.
Harry Styles at the 68th GRAMMY Awards held at the Crypto.com Arena on February 01, 2026 in Los Angeles, California(Image: Billboard via Getty Images)
Sir Mel, the member for Central Devon, also had two tickets for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show from Lloyds Banking Group among his registered gifts, while Mr Thomas watched an Arsenal v Everton football match courtesy of The Premier League in May 2024.
The analysis by the Local Democracy Reporting Service comes from figures on the official Register of Members’ Financial Interests, and looked at specific categories of donations, namely 2a (support linked to an MP but received by a local party organisation or indirectly via a central party organisation) and 2b (‘other support’) – as well as ‘gifts, benefits and hospitality’ – known as category 3 on the Register.
Exeter MP, Steve Race, with Defra minister Mary Creagh at Trews Weir.(Image: Steve Race)
Figures were taken from the August 2024 entry – the first one that Devon’s new crop of MPs are included on – and the most recent September 2026 entry.
Various rules and regulations govern donations, including the Parliamentary Code of Conduct, which Devon’s MPs have all met.
The topic of donations registered by Devon MPs has emerged in a recent political spat, with Liberal Democrat Parliamentary candidate, Charlotte FitzGerald, criticising a donation given to the Conservative Association by housing developer 3West Group prior to the election of Conservative David Reed MP that he registered upon his victory in the Exmouth & Exeter East seat as per Parliamentary rules.
Looking through the data, Mr Thomas amassed nearly £108,000 in donations – the vast majority of which was in the run-up to his election in July 2024 and paid to his party – from multiple individuals and unions including Unison, USDAW and CWU, outstripping Conservative heavyweight Sir Mel, who registered around £88,000 of donations over 2025 and 2026 paid to his party.
Tory Mel Stride asked about interviews in person for Universal Credit(Image: Parliament TV)
The large figure for Mr Thomas compared to his Devon peers is likely to be because of the Labour party ’s bid to muscle out the then Conservative incumbent, Johnny Mercer, in the 2024 General Election in what the party called a “top-tier battleground seat”.
Sir Mel appears to have the largest single donation, though, at £25,000 from JCB for “the provision of staff”, under the analysis of the Register. The majority of his other donations are from private individuals, with some from companies including petrol forecourt operator Park Garage Group and Chagford-based Brechin Investment.
Mr Reed has registered more than £22,000 in donations – all received by the local party – under the analysis, with the majority – £18,000 – declared in August 2024, suggesting those funded election costs. These included donations from three Devon businesses: housing developer 3West, Exmouth-based Goosemoor Food Services, and Clyst St Mary-based EMS Waste Services.
The Exmouth MP has the highest amount of category 3 gifts, benefits and hospitality registered by any Devon MP under the analysis, at more than £9,400. However, the vast majority of this is linked to one amount from The Coalition for Global Prosperity (CGP), which has also donated or gifted to Mr Thomas, Mr Race and Ms Smith.
(Image: Local Democracy Reporting Service)
Mr Reed’s office said the CGP registered amount of £7,800 related to work that “has predominantly been supported on a cross-party basis and forms part of his wider work on foreign policy and defence”. It added that the money funded essential opposition work that could not be funded by taxpayers or the civil service.
Liberal Democrat member Caroline Voaden, the member for South Hams, showed strong fundraising at £53,709 under the analysis.
Donations – made to the local party and registered by Ms Voaden as per Parliamentary rules – were almost entirely from individuals, with one from the Totnes Liberal Club.
All were registered in August 2024, suggesting they would have helped fund her election campaign. Her only registered gift has been a complimentary membership to the National Liberal Club.
South Devon MP Caroline Voaden(Image: Copyright Unknown)
Torbay member, Steve Darling MP, registered more than £28,000 of donations, again received by the local party. Like Ms Voaden, these were registered in August 2024, again suggesting they helped fund his election campaign at that year’s July General Election.
His largest single donation came from Amanda Darling, while another Darling – William – is also on the Register.
Torbay MP Steve Darling outside Torquay police station(Image: Steve Darling)
North Devon member, Lib Dem Ian Roome MP, had £21,000 in registered donations – paid to the local party – to fund his election campaign, with one coming from an individual and two from Barnstaple-based businesses – Blue Elephant Childcare and Rosie Bracher Solicitors. He also registered a free membership worth £1,310 to the National Liberal Club.
North Devon MP Ian Roome at the construction site for the new NDDH hospital residences(Image: Ian Roome’s office)
Conservative Ms Smith had two registered donations made to the local party to fund her election campaign – totalling £17,000. One was £10,000 from Lord Michael Farmer, who spent his career in the City and is known as Mr Copper for his influence in the world copper market.
(Image: Submitted)
Richard Foord MP, the Liberal Democrat member for Honiton & Sidmouth, has registered more than £12,000 in donations from individuals – again paid to the local party and registered by him upon election – but he has no gifts registered.
Richard Foord MP, the member for Honiton and Sidmouth, welcomes the inclusion of Cullompton Railway Station in the Railways Bill.(Image: Richard Foord)
Party colleague Rachel Gilmour MP, the member for Tiverton & Minehead, registered just over £11,500 in a donation from David Wulff, who is now the leader of Mid Devon District Council, labelled as being for election costs – paid to the local party – and also has a free National Liberal Club membership worth £1,675.
Rachel Gilmour, the MP for Tiverton & Minehead.(Image: Chris Coupe/Rachel Gilmour)
Plymouth’s other MP, Labour’s Luke Pollard, who represents Sutton and Devonport, had a £5,000 donation from UNITE, the union, and £2,000 from the CWU – both received by the local party – while the only other donation came from the University of Plymouth, which provided a lecture hall and events space for Mr Pollard’s summer school for young people in Plymouth.
He only has two gifts registered, one being tickets to the Army v Navy rugby match at Twickenham from Babcock International.
Plymouth MP Luke Pollard has accused the BBC of censorship (Image: @Luke Pollard/X)
Newton Abbot member Martin Wrigley MP only has one registered gift of £1,029 gift for a National Liberal Club membership under the analysis, while Conservative Sir Geoffrey Cox, covering Torridge and Tavistock, has no entries under the categories covered.
Newton Abbot MP Martin Wrigley – May 2026 image (Image: Martin Wrigley)
Mr Wrigley said he recognised donations and gifts were “useful in running campaigns and helping to raise profiles of individuals, groups, and political parties” but that they had to be given “freely, transparently and with no expectation of return – financial or otherwise”.
“I also feel that political donations and gifts should be capped in order to minimise the temptation of cash for policy, and also to ensure a level playing field across the whole political spectrum,” he added.
Sir Geoffrey Cox KC MP meeting constituents at Morrisons in Bideford (Credit: Submitted)
Ms Gilmour, Mr Thomas and Ms Voaden declined to comment.
Sir Geoffrey and Sir Mel did not respond to the request for comment, and neither did Mr Cox, Mr Darling, Mr Foord, Mr Pollard, Mr Race, Mr Roome, or Ms Smith.