SLOUGH’S MP has defended going on an all-expense paid trip to Qatar – a place that has been widely condemned for its human rights record.

Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi accumulated £24,220 in earnings, donations, gifts, and other benefits since 2019’s general election, according to an analysis conducted by Sky News and Tortoise.

Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs paid £7,760 for the Labour Parliamentarian, among other MPs from other parties, to visit the country.

Qatar has faced intense criticism from human rights groups and activists over its treatment and attitudes toward migrant workers and the LGBTQIA+ community. This intensified when last year’s World Cup was hosted in the Middle Eastern country during November and December.

Mr Dhesi said he and dozens of other MPs from different parties went to Qatar shortly after the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in 2021 to meet with Qatari officials involved in the humanitarian response following the UK’s sudden withdrawal.

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Qatar became the global hub for Afghan refugee extraction, the Slough MP said.

He added: “This is an issue that severely impacted and continues to impact many of my Slough constituents. It was also an opportunity to discuss workers’ rights reform and build bilateral relations, not only between the UK and Qatar, but between Slough and Qatari businesses.”

He also said the trip was paid for by Qatar as Parliament does not provide enough support compared to the US and EU for MPs to make foreign visits.

Elsewhere within the data, Mr Dhesi received £6,750 from his appearances on Talk TV and £4,000 from the Friends of Windsor Labour Hall.

However, Mr Dhesi said the Talk TV earnings were donated directly by that channel to Slough charities, including Slough Homeless Our Concern and Slough Food Banks.

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Mr Dhesi said: “My one and only paid job is as the MP for Slough. My register of interests provides a transparent and public account of any donations or similar that I may have received during my time as the Slough MP. Not a single penny from these stated gifts and donations has gone into my pocket.

He added: “So, all of the mentioned interactions and amounts have helped facilitate my work as an elected public servant, whether supporting constituents, encouraging investment into Slough, advancing issues of national importance, or strengthening relationships with local businesses, charities, and major local employers.”