Angela Rayner faces backlash over freebie New Year holiday at Lord Alli’s luxury £2m New York flat… with questions over whether five-night stay was REALLY only worth the £1,250 she declared _ Hieuuk
Angela Rayner is facing a fresh backlash today over her freebie stay at a £2million New York apartment loaned to her by Lord Alli.
The Deputy PM declared that she enjoyed a five-night stay over New Year at a flat owned by the wealthy peer.
The residence in question is believed to be 1,300sq ft with two bedrooms and breathtaking views of the Empire State Building.
It is on the 56th floor of an imposing skyscraper with a gym, jacuzzi and pool.
However, doubts have been raised over the £1,250 value of the donation declared by Ms Rayner on the Commons register – with accommodation prices eye-watering in New York City.
Angela Rayner stayed in a £2million New York flat lent to her by Lord Alli with breathtaking views of the Empire State Building. Pictured: Angela Rayner in Westminster after a morning media round
The Manhattan skyline seen at sunrise from the 86th floor observatory of the Empire State Building
Lord Alli has been at the centre of the row over gifts to Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria.
According to the parliamentary register of interests, Ms Rayner was given a flat as accommodation for five nights to enjoy a ‘personal holiday’, which she said was worth an estimated £1,250 overall.
Ms Rayner, 44, stayed from December 29 to January 2 last year.
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The Daily Telegraph said media entrepreneur Lord Alli, 59, is listed as its resident.
‘He has family and friends stay from time to time,’ a source told the paper, believing that Lord Alli, 59, visits around twice a year.
He said that the guests ‘seem important’ when they arrive.
Lord Alli’s partner has posted pictures of the 60-storey skyscraper on social media.
The building’s website describes it as being at the heart of the theatre district and says it has multiple sundecks with incredible views which include sights of Manhattan, the Hudson river and New Jersey.
Tory former adviser Henry Newman, who runs the Whitehall Project substack, said he had been ‘wondering how she found an apartment in NYC which cost £1,250 for five days’.
‘It’s a very expensive city and the dollar is strong,’ he posted on X.
The furore looked to be gathering pace as Baroness Harman last night became the first senior party figure to publicly criticise the PM for accepting more than £100,000 worth of gifts and hospitality in the past five years.
The ex-minister said the Labour leader was ‘doubling down’ and trying to justify a donor paying for thousands of pounds’ worth of clothes for himself and his wife.
In a round of interviews this morning, minister Jess Phillips said she accepted Sir Keir’s explanations of the gifts.
But she admitted she ‘worried’ about how such situations appeared to the public.
‘It’s not that I don’t think it’s important at all. I think you have to consider how people in the country feel about things,’ she said.
‘I have to say nobody has mentioned it to me. I haven’t had a single email about it…
Pressed whether she was concerned about the juxtaposition of the gifts with winter fuel allowance being stripped from pensioners, she said: ‘Of course I always worry about how everything looks.
‘Those two things are completely separate things….
‘But of course I worry about how things look and I want people to feel like the government is having to make some very very difficult decisions, but fundamentally is working to try and make things better.’
Sir Keir again insisted last night that he had done nothing wrong – and claimed a corporate box he has been gifted to watch his beloved Arsenal was in fact saving taxpayers money, because he would need more security in the stands.
Labour said that all donations had been declared and it had no further comment.
Tory former adviser Henry Newman, who runs the Whitehall Project substack, said he had been ‘ wondering how she found an apartment in NYC which cost £1,250 for five days’
The Deputy Prime Minister is said to have spent five nights in the 56th floor Manhattan apartment, with a gym, jacuzzi and pool (stock)
In a round of interviews this morning, minister Jess Phillips said she accepted Sir Keir’s explanations of the gifts
