Keir Starmer Under Probe After Labour Donor 'Pays For Wife's Clothes'
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is under scrutiny for possible breach of parliamentary rules. The investigation started after he failed to declare that some of his wife Victoria’s high-end clothes were bought for her by his biggest personal donor Lord Alli.
Reportedly, the Labour peer paid for personal shopper, clothes and alterations for Lady Victoria Starmer, reportedly both before and after the Labour leader became prime minister in July, as per The Sunday Times.
Starmer, like all MPs, must declare his relevant interests under rules set up to protect politics from improper influence and uphold transparency.
As per the report, Starmer has received nearly £19,000 worth of work clothes and several pairs of glasses from Lord Alli, the former chairman of online fashion retailer Asos. He also disclosed the amount spent.
In addition to this, Alli also spent £20,000 on accommodation for the now prime minister during the election and a similar sum on “private office” costs, which was also disclosed, said the report.
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According to The Times, the prime minister’s office approached the parliamentary authorities to make the late declarations last Tuesday.
However, the PM’s advisers were already in touch with them by then after several designers had approached Lady Starmer asking if she was interested in free products such as clothes, jewellery and make-up.
When the staff asked Starmer if he would need to declare his wife being given those items if she accepted and were told he would.
When they asked if the previous gifts from Lord Alli should also have been declared on the same basis and it was decided they did.
They then wrote to the authorities to update the prime minister’s register of interests, which is scheduled to be published next month. Lady Starmer has separately declined to accept the offers from designers.
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Alli’s, whose personal wealth is estimated to be at £200m, involvement with the Labour leader has already proved controversial after it emerged he had been given a Downing Street security pass without apparently having a government role.
The revelations are awkward for the prime minister, who has promised to clean up politics.
Speaking to SKY News, a Number 10 spokesperson told Sky News it was an oversight that had been corrected after it “sought advice from the authorities on coming to office”.
They said, “We believed we’d been compliant, however, following further interrogation this month, we’ve declared further items”.
Conservative party called for a “full investigation” after The Sunday Times report emerged.
