20 Oct 2025
Harpenden MP Victoria Collins is under fire after waiting almost a month to declare a VIP package for this year’s Glastonbury Festival paid for by a music industry lobbyist ahead of a House of Commons speech on copyright.
Back on June 26, Victoria accepted a gift of Glastonbury event tickets, accommodation, food and transport for two people from a music copyright organisation called PRS for Music. The package, worth £2,872, was not registered with the House of Commons authorities until July 23.
According to their website, PRS licenses the use of its members’ music by businesses, online, in broadcast and film, and works to protect the future of music through partnerships, technology and influencing policy.
Victoria, the Liberal Democrats’ spokesperson for science, innovation and technology, spoke in a House of Commons debate on July 22 entitled Music Streaming: Label-led Principles in which she raised the issue of music copyright and called for Government action on the issue.
It was not the first time she had spoken on the issue, and previously called for changes in the law around protecting creatives copyright from AI scraping in December 2024.
On July 22 she said: “I ask the Minister to clarify for the House how much confidence we can really have that the principles he is spelling out will finally lead to a more equitable distribution of streaming revenue…
“We have raised this issue many times in the past, but it remains true that if we are serious about protecting artists’ right to remuneration, we need to ensure that copyright, which has underpinned success for decades, works in our digitally evolving world…”
She did not mention PRS for Music or her Glastonbury hospitality, but the following day she did register an interest with the House.
Now the issue has been highlighted by Harpenden councillor and SADC Conservative group leader Matt Cowley. who has reported her to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards.
He asked her: “Have you at any point discussed music copyright issues with PRS for Music? Did you discuss the issue with them at any point during your trip to Glastonbury?
“For what reason did you fail to register your gift from PRS for Music with the House authorities until the day after your speech on music copyright?
“Why did you decide that your trip to Glastonbury as a guest of an organisation with an interest in music copyright did not need to be declared during your speech in the House of Commons?”
Conservative candidate for the Harpenden and Berkhamsted constituency in last year’s General Election, Nigel Gardner, has also responded: “It is absolutely right that the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards has been asked to investigate these serious allegations.
“Victoria Collins spent much of last year’s General Election campaign accusing me of nefarious lobbying activities – rather than explaining what she would do to help the people of Harpenden.
“She’s been in Parliament little more than a year – and it appears she is already taking the lobbyists’ shilling, or more precisely in this case, almost three thousand pounds.
“She breached the rules by trying to change government policy without declaring this personal gain. Hypocritical behaviour is not what Harpenden deserves. Scrapping the parking charges on the High Street is.”
A spokesperson for Victoria Collins said: “Victoria has declared all gifts through the appropriate channels – this gift included.
“In line with long-held Liberal Democrat policy Victoria has campaigned to protect music and creatives copyrighting, she has continued to raise this issue on behalf of millions of creatives and artists in light of the threat from AI scraping.
“Those concerns include many local constituents and businesses worried about the impact of AI scraping on their livelihoods. She has never mentioned PRS Music in the chamber.
“Britain’s creatives are part of a £124 billion industry that drives our economy, so support for their legacy including musicians is something Victoria feels passionately about and will continue to fight for.”
