NATIONAL media attention on donations to constituency MPs has included a spotlight being turned in the direction of Thurrock MP Jackie Doyle-Price and in particular a contribution made by the government of Qatar.

The middle-east country has been the focus of much attention following the recent hosting of football's World Cup and a critical comments about its record of worker rights and its humanitarian record in general.

Sky TV News has highlighted some donations made to MPs by Qatar and the suggestion is that receipt of the finance is inappropriate.

In the case of Ms Doyle-Price the amount is £10,000 which has been attributed by her office to the cost, funded by the Qatar government, of two trips made to the region by Ms Doyle-Price and other MPs.

Ms Doyle-Price has explained that the visits were part of cross-party committee work by herself and other MPs, investigating human rights issues and in the cause of improving conditions. She has told Nub News that the visits entailed visiting refugee centres where the Qatari government was processing immigrants who fled Afghanistan.  

During the course of the visits the MPs' work included meeting with trade unions and that they led to increased lobbying for improved rights for workers and women in the region.

And the Thurrock MP says in real terms the amounts reported by Sky News are comparatively small and is a misrepresentation of the genuine and justifiable work carried out by many MPs as part of All-Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs).

Ms Doyle-Price has made the point that all such instances are reported and recorded as a matter of public record and says that any suggestion of impropriety is inappropriate in such instances, adding that APPGs exist for the purpose of facilitating informed dialogue and representation."

Reflecting on allegations that there are many MPs profiteering from their role, Ms Doyle-Price said: "The overall headline is that MPs have earned £17m in outside earnings. Then you scratch away and find that most of it has been earned by just 20. And this figure is over three years.

"The only income I have received is my parliamentary salary and any salary I drew as a minister – that has been the case since I was elected. I am far from alone in this and I consider it irresponsible for Sky to suggest we are all trousering cash when the truth is far different. All this information has been in the public domain for many years." 

It has also been pointed out that across all mainstream, and indeed some smaller parties, many of the sums listed against MPs are in fact donations to the local Conservative Party for the purposes of funding election campaigns and local political groupings administrative costs.