‘Frockgate’: Keir Starmer’s love for freebies ends his short-lived honeymoon

London: Keir Starmer promised “change” to a fed-up nation, but just 76 days into his premiership he is in danger of Britons forming an early view that he’s no better than the rest.

After 14 years of Conservative rule and a particularly chaotic last two, the British Prime Minister and his Labour government had hoped for a quiet northern summer after their election triumph, where a relieved nation soaked up whatever sun came their way and forgot about politics.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has accepted gifts totalling more than £100,000 since December 2019.Credit: Getty Images

But, after pledging to bring an end to sleaze that he claimed had dogged the previous Tory government, Starmer’s honeymoon has proven short-lived amid a growing controversy – dubbed “frockgate” – about his acceptance of gifts worth tens of thousands of pounds.

The row now threatens to undermine the vows – made just two months ago on the steps of No.10 – to lead a government of public service and transparency.

Last weekend The Sunday Times reported that Starmer broke parliamentary rules by initially failing to record in the MPs’ register the cost of a personal shopper, clothes and alterations worth more than £5000 ($9757) for his wife, Victoria, covered by multimillionaire businessman and party donor, Lord Waheed Alli.

Alli, the former chairman of the online fashion retailer Asos and whose wealth is estimated at £200 million, is also Starmer’s biggest personal donor. He has been at the centre of a row after it emerged he was given a Downing Street pass for several weeks over the summer despite not having an official government position.

Starmer and wife Lady Victoria Starmer. He initially failed to report her clothing as gifts.Credit: Getty Images

This year Alli has given the Labour leader £18,685 worth of work clothes and several pairs of glasses. He also spent £20,000 on accommodation for Starmer during the election campaign and a similar sum on “private office” costs at his private £18 million penthouse.

Beyond Alli, records show Starmer has accepted tens of thousands of pounds in gifts, hospitality and tickets to events since becoming Labour leader, including nearly £66,000 over the past year.

He declared £12,588 of gifts from the Premier League, including four Taylor Swift tickets during the election campaign worth £4000, two Euro finals tickets worth £1628, and numerous tickets for several Arsenal matches adding up to well over £6000.

This takes the total value of Starmer’s freebies to more than £100,000 – a figure 2½ times higher than any other MP – since December 2019.

Starmer enjoyed four free tickets to see Taylor Swift perform at Wembley Stadium.Credit: Getty Images

The prime minister has justified the clothing donations to him and his wife by saying “wherever there are gifts from anyone, I’m going to comply with rules”.

Asked on radio if he was worried about the optics of taking so many hospitality tickets, Starmer said “most people” would agree his argument for doing so was “fair”.

He said because of security advice, he was no longer able to sit in the stands at Emirates Stadium, Arsenal’s home ground in north London, like he had done for years as a passionate fan, and that instead of sitting in a private box, donated by the club, he was saving taxpayers’ money. The box is advertised as costing at least £8750 per game.

But several media outlets have reported that government officials are worried Starmer’s willingness to accept hospitality at football matches could amount to a conflict of interest existing given plans to overhaul the sport’s regulator, which many clubs oppose.

Football fan: Starmer (left) in the stands before the UEFA Nations League match between Ireland and England in Dublin this month.Credit: Getty Images

At a grassroots level, where Britain’s relationship with politics has become severely fractured since the Brexit vote in 2016 and a revolving door of disastrous Tory leaders, some of Labour’s wise heads understand the damage such tone-deaf decisions can do – especially after his government just controversially axed winter fuel payments for around 10 million pensioners.

Harriet Harman, a former deputy Labour leader and now a member of the House of Lords, said Starmer should stop trying to “justify” accepting gifts as it was “making things worse”.

“You can either double down on it and try and justify it or you can just say it was probably a misstep, if I had my time again I wouldn’t do it, and therefore I’m going to auction for charity or something,” she told a political podcast, Sky News’ Electoral Dysfunction.

On Friday, after having sustained a week of attacks, Starmer and several of his senior colleagues announced he’d no longer accept free clothes.

Lord Waheed Alli is Starmer’s biggest personal donor.

While the so-called freebies scandal resonates with voters, it is a power struggle at the centre of Starmer’s government this week which could cause as much damage. Concerns over the influence of Sue Gray, a former senior bureaucrat, emerged again this week when it was leaked to the media she is paid more to be his chief of staff than the prime minister.

According to the BBC, which broke the story, Starmer is paid a salary of £166,786 while Gray is now paid £170,000. Gray’s salary has reportedly provoked anger because of lingering resentment among senior political aides about their own pay and dismay at the “optics”.

Starmer insisted he was “completely in control” of his government despite a bitter briefing war over Gray’s salary – now subject to a leak inquiry – and he said his team was united behind his “big mandate to deliver change”.

On this week’s effort, it appears they’ll take some more convincing.

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