MEZIESBLOG

Sir Keir Starmer has come under scrutiny over the past week for the more than £100,000-worth of gifts he has accepted.

But what exactly has the PM been criticised for, what are his party’s concerns, and what has he said about it?

His wife’s clothes

Talk of the PM’s gifts began last weekend, when The Sunday Times reported he had breached parliamentary rules by failing to declare some of his wife’s high-end clothes were bought for her by his biggest personal donor, Lord Alli.

Specifically, it was revealed Lord Alli, former chairman of online fashion retailer Asos, paid for a personal shopper, clothes, and alterations for Lady Victoria Starmer both before and after the Labour leader became prime minister in July.

MPs are required to register gifts and donations within 28 days of receiving them, but it is understood the donations for Lady Starmer’s clothes were submitted late.

Number 10 said it was an oversight that had been corrected.

Sir Keir has also received – and disclosed – other gifts from Lord Alli totalling £39,122, including an unspecified donation of accommodation worth £20,437, “work clothing” worth £16,200, and multiple pairs of glasses equivalent to £2,485.

Some Tory MPs have condemned Sir Keir for accepting the gifts at all, especially having cut the winter fuel allowance for pensioners.

Football tickets

The Premier League is one of the biggest donors of hospitality, and Sir Keir – a renowned Arsenal fan – has received almost £40,000 in tickets overall since December 2019.

He has declared £12,588 of gifts from the Premier League, numerous hospitality tickets to Arsenal matches costing well over £10,000 in total, plus two Euros finals tickets costing £1,628 and thousands of pounds’ worth of tickets from other Premier League clubs.

MEEZIESBLOG has learnt officials are warning the prime minister that he could be opening himself up to inappropriate lobbying by continuing to accept football tickets, as the government is planning to set up an Independent Football Regulator for the professional men’s game.

What has Starmer said in response to criticism?

Speaking to journalists this week, the prime minister said “all MPs get gifts” and he thinks the need to declare them is “a good framework”.

“Wherever there are gifts from anyone, I’m going to comply with the rules,” he said.

“It’s very important to me that the rules are followed. I’ve always said that. I said that before the election. I reinforced it after the election.”

On his acceptance of Arsenal tickets, he added: “I’m a massive Arsenal fan. I can’t go into the stands because of security reasons. Therefore, if I don’t accept a gift of hospitality, I can’t go to a game. You could say: ‘Well, bad luck’.

“That’s why gifts have to be registered. But… never going to an Arsenal game again because I can’t accept hospitality is pushing it a bit far.”

Another of the opposition’s critiques of the PM has been his so-called “hypocrisy”, having previously been so critical of his predecessors for accepting gifts.

While Sir Keir didn’t comment on gifts during his election campaign, he regularly labelled former PM Rishi Sunak and his government as “out of touch” with the public’s financial struggles.