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.

Heading the registered donations list is Labour’s Plymouth Moor View MP Fred Thomas, due to individual donations and union contributions, with Sir Mel Stride MP (Con) second.

Exeter Labour MP Steve Race was one of the lowest listed for registered donations with tickets to Harry Styles as a guest for PRS for Music, while South West Devon MP, Rebecca Smith (Con) whose donations are also at the lower end, registered two tickets to the British Grand Prix from Silverstone Circuits Limited among her three registered gifts.

Sir Mel (Central Devon), had RHS Chelsea Flower Show tickets from Lloyds Banking Group among registered gifts, while Mr Thomas watched an Arsenal vs Everton football match, from the Premier League in 2024.

The analysis comes from figures on the official Register of Members’ Financial Interests, and looked at categories of donations: 1. support linked to an MP (received by a local parties or indirectly via central parties) and 2. other support and 3. “gifts, benefits and hospitality”.

Figures were taken from the August 2024 entry, the first including Devon’s new crop of MPs, and with the most recent September 2026 entry. Rules and regulations govern donations, including the Parliamentary Code of Conduct, which Devon’s MPs have all met.

Sir Mel appears to have the largest single donation, though, at £25,000 from JCB for “the provision of staff”. Most of his other donations are from private individuals and some from companies, Park Garage Group and Chagford-based Brechin Investment.

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.

Mr Thomas amassed nearly £108,000 in donations, mostly from 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.

The large figure for Mr Thomas compared to his Devon peers is likely to be funding his 2024 general election campaign.

Plymouth’s other MP, Labour’s Luke Pollard (Sutton and Devonport), had a £5,000 donation from UNITE and £2,000 from the CWU, to the local party. The other donation came from the University of Plymouth, for his summer school for young people. He has two gifts registered, tickets to the Army vs Navy rugby match at Twickenham from Babcock International.

Liberal Democrat member Caroline Voaden, the member for South Hams, showed strong fundraising at £53,709.

Donations, made to the local party and registered by Ms Voaden as per Parliamentary rules, were almost entirely from individuals. Her only registered gift was a complimentary membership to the National Liberal Club.

North Devon member Lib Dem Ian Roome MP had £21,000 in registered donations, to the local party, to fund his election campaign, with one coming from an individual and two from Barnstaple-based businesses.

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.