Nick Thomas-Symonds was appointed a minister for EU relations in Keir Starmer’s government
Nick Thomas-Symonds serves as the Paymaster General and Minister in the Cabinet Office alongside his constituency work(Image: Local Democracy Reporting Service)
Government records have revealed that in his first year as a government minister, Torfaen’s MP Nick Thomas-Symonds has travelled to eleven countries, racking up costs of at least £7,000.
The Labour MP embarked on his first international trips within 24 hours of his appointment as Paymaster General and Minister in the Cabinet Office, following Labour’s victory in the July 2024 general election.
Just one day after his cabinet appointment, Mr Thomas-Symonds was sent on a Eurostar train to Belgium. His mission was to “engage” with officials within the European Union’s institutions, signifying the new Government’s approach to EU/UK relations.
The next day, Mr Thomas-Symonds accompanied the newly appointed Prime Minister, Sir Kier Starmer, to the NATO summit in Washington DC, travelling on the UK Government’s official jet G-GBNI.
During the flight, Mr Thomas-Symonds shared a photograph of himself, immaculately dressed in a white buttoned-up shirt and tie, working diligently.
While the Prime Minister was joined by his wife, former Cardiff University student Victoria, for the three-day trip, Mr Thomas-Symonds did not have his wife accompanying him on any of his official journeys.
The Welsh MP went to Washington for a meeting with then US President Joe Biden in his capacity as the minister overseeing EU relations, enabling him to engage with European counterparts in the US.
Mr Thomas-Symonds visited Washington shortly after his party won the general election(Image: Local Democracy Reporting Service)
Mr Thomas-Symonds’ most frequent destination of Brussels signifies the importance of UK ties with the EU. From July 2024 to June this year, he has made seven trips to the Belgian capital, where the influential EU commission meet.
Each of the trips to Brussels were made by Eurostar, including a notable trip in October 2024 when he was accompanied by the Prime Minister to discuss what the government calls the “UK/EU Reset” with EU leaders.
He has however visited Strasbourg, France, the primary site of the democratically elected European Parliament, only once, but delivered a speech at the UK-EU Parliamentary Partnership Assembly and met with EU counterparts in Brussels in March this year.
On October 21, 2024, he flew to France for an overnight stay and a meeting with “key parliamentarians from the European Parliament” and Slovak diplomat Maroš Šefčovič, the EU Commissioner responsible for negotiations with the UK.
The Blaenavon-born MP first met Mr Šefčovič face-to-face in Brussels during his second official visit to Belgium in July, just three days after returning from Washington DC.
Mr Thomas-Symonds seemed delighted to meet the senior diplomat – whom Irish broadcaster RTÉ has reported is known as Mr Fixit in Brussels for his stewardship of Brexit negotiations – sharing a photograph of the pair sat opposite one another on sofas on X.
Maroš Šefčovič has described Mr Thomas-Symonds as a friend(Image: Local Democracy Reporting Service)
The well-travelled minister also visited Berlin and Sofia in June this year to discuss eGate access for British nationals.
The information comes from Cabinet Office ministerial transparency publications, which detail transport methods, flight or rail ticket expenses, and extra costs including visas, accommodation and meals.
A dedicated column for “accompanied by spouse/partner at public expense” records “No” for each journey by Mr Thomas-Symonds from July 2024 to the end of June 2025.
Whilst records for trips since June remain unpublished, the MP’s X feed reveals that over the last half-year he has been on official visits to Dublin prior to Ireland’s EU Presidency, a subsequent Brussels meeting with Mr Šefčovič – who referred to Mr Thomas-Symonds as “a friend” – as well as journeys to Bruges and Cyprus.
The travel and related costs for Mr Thomas-Symonds have been documented at a minimum of £7,191.21, though the Cabinet Office records exclude his July 2024 journey to Washington DC aboard the government aircraft, as well as his attendance at the European Political Community meeting in Budapest, Hungary last November, where he travelled on a RAF plane. Number 10 declared these costs.
The Paymaster General has used the Eurostar on several trips to Brussels(Image: Local Democracy Reporting Service)
A spokesperson for the Torfaen MP said: “Nick Thomas-Symonds is the Minister for EU Relations and so regularly travels to do his job.
“This currently involves crucial negotiations with Brussels and other European capitals ranging from a food and drink deal that will cut red tape for businesses and help bring down food prices, to improved judicial cooperation and information sharing to tackle illegal migration.
“His travel plans always balance efficiency and cost-effectiveness for the taxpayer.”
Where has Nick Thomas-Symonds travelled?
2025
- June 16-17: Berlin, Germany, and Sofia, Bulgaria, for discussions with senior officials from German and Bulgarian governments regarding eGate access for British nationals. £656.48.
- June 11-12: Prague, Czech Republic, for meetings with Czech government representatives and to speak at the Globsec Conference. £295.43.
- April 6-8: Warsaw, Poland, for engagements with Polish government officials and site visits concerning UK/EU and UK/Polish security collaboration. £473.97.
- March 30-31: Stockholm, Sweden, for meetings with Swedish stakeholders about the UK/EU reset. £323.
- March 17-18: Brussels, Belgium, for a speech at the UK-EU Parliamentary Partnership Assembly and meetings with EU counterparts. £1,030.
- February 3-5: Brussels, Belgium to deliver a speech at the UK-EU Forum, meet representatives from the devolved governments’ Brussels offices, and take part in two business roundtables. £417.
2024
- November 27-28: Rome, Italy, to attend the Pontignano Conference. £326.69.
- November 26-27: Brussels, Belgium, to speak with EU Commission representatives on the UK/EU reset. £177.
- November 6-7: Budapest, Hungary, accompanying the Prime Minister at the European Political Community. Costs declared by Number 10.
- October 21-22: Strasbourg, France, for meetings with key parliamentarians from the European Parliament and Maroš Šefčovič. £236.
- October 3: Dublin, Ireland, to engage with Irish counterparts on the UK/EU reset alongside the Foreign Secretary.
- October 2: Brussels, Belgium, accompanying the Prime Minister for talks with EU leaders on the UK/EU Reset. £512.
- September 30: Brussels, Belgium, accompanying the PM on an official trip to meet his European counterparts. £438.
- July 15: Brussels, Belgium, to meet key interlocutors from EU institutions to discuss the EU-UK reset. £448.
- July 9-12: Washington D. C, USA, for the NATO summit. Costs declared by Number 10.
- July 8: Brussels, Belgium, to speak with officials within the EU institutions to show the new government’s approach to EU/UK relations. £564.