Burnham pays to keep Brigitte Macron’s bracelet after Bayeux visit
Andy Burnham paid to keep a bracelet Brigitte Macron gave to his wife during a visit connected with the Bayeux Tapestry’s arrival in London. Ministers who retain official gifts must pay the Government their value above £140, so the threshold reduced the amount Burnham had to pay.
The Cabinet Office register does not state the bracelet’s full value. Emmanuel Macron gave Burnham a bottle of wine and a pen, which were held by the department; Burnham gave the French couple a wool blanket. The register also lists maple syrup and a wooden bowl from Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney as kept by No 10, while a £150 Bayeux Tapestry book given to the Prime Minister remained with Downing Street.
In short
- Burnham paid to keep his wife’s bracelet from Brigitte Macron.
- The £140 threshold reduced the amount owed to the Government.
- The Cabinet Office did not disclose the bracelet’s full value.
Explained simply
Andy Burnham is the mayor of Greater Manchester and a former government minister. Brigitte Macron is the wife of French President Emmanuel Macron. The bracelet was given to Burnham’s wife during a visit linked to the Bayeux Tapestry, a medieval embroidered work depicting the Norman conquest of England.
UK ministers may receive gifts in their official roles, but rules require them to pay if they want to keep a gift worth more than £140. The payment covers the value above that threshold; the register does not give the bracelet’s full value.
Gift registers record what public figures receive and whether items are kept by them or their department. They also include exchanges between visiting leaders, such as gifts from the Macrons and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, and help show how official gifts are handled.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “The PM’s a canny Bayeux: Burnham pays to keep bracelet given to his wife by the Macrons during tapestry visit… at a £140 discount”.