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20
May
Harrogate and Knaresborough MP declares marathon gift
Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Tom Gordon received start and finish line hospitality worth an estimated £350 at the London Marathon.
Mr Gordon, a keen runner, raised £2,679 for the charity Crohn’s & Colitis UK by completing the 26-mile course on April 26.
The Liberal Democrat declared the gift, which he received from event organiser London Marathon Events Ltd, in accordance with parliamentary rules.
It appeared in the latest Register of Members’ Financial Interests, which was published on Monday (May 18). The Stray Ferret regularly checks the register for entries from local MPs.
Marathon sponsor, the consultancy firm TCS, provided start and finish line hospitality. It described the finish line hospitality as a ‘high-end networking area’ where runners could ‘replenish’ and their guests could get close to the action.
Asked about the gift, a spokesperson for Mr Gordon said the hospitality related to access to the pre- and post-race hospitality area for runners and guests.
They added:
In practice, this consisted of refreshments before the race. I understand Tom had a banana and some juice at the start line, alongside access to toilet and changing facilities. Then a shower and beer afterwards with some constituents who were also there.
The £350 figure was the notional estimate provided by the organisers.
Passing Big Ben
The spokesperson added “having readily available access to toilet facilities was particularly appreciated and comforting” for Mr Gordon, who lives with colitis.
Despite issues with cramp leading to a fall part-way through, the MP completed the race in 4 hours 29 minutes and 13 seconds, beating his previous London Marathon time.
He said he wanted to use his platform to highlight how colitis can affect people despite them appearing well:
“Living with inflammatory bowel disease is tough. It’s unpredictable, often invisible, and sometimes means having to slow down or stop completely - something I find particularly hard”.
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