Sir Keir Starmer and some of his most senior Cabinet ministers have found themselves under huge scrutiny over recent weeks.
Keir Starmer scrambles to save his reputation as he hands over £6k to cover some of his freebies. (Image: Getty)
Sir Keir Starmer has taken some decisive action to restore his reputation by repaying £6,000 for a series of high-profile gifts received since he became Prime Minister.
The repayment includes six tickets to a Taylor Swift concert, four tickets to horse races, and a rental agreement for clothing from a luxury designer.
The Prime Minister’s move comes amid mounting scrutiny regarding the close connections between the government and wealthy donors, particularly after he, along with members of his Cabinet – including Rachel Reeves and Angela Rayner – faced backlash for accepting lavish gifts.
Some of his critics have pointed out the apparent contradiction between Starmer’s promises to “clean up” politics and the reality of him accepting freebies.
During a visit to Brussels, Sir Keir addressed the issue, saying: “We came in as a government of change, we are now going to bring forward principles for donations.
The Prime Minister’s move comes amid mounting scrutiny. (Image: Getty)
“We are now going to bring forward principles for donations because, until now, politicians have used their best individual judgment on a case-by-case basis. I think we need some principles of general application.
“So, I took the position that until the principles are in place it was right for me to make those repayments.”
He acknowledged the need for clearer guidelines around gifts and hospitality, which he plans to incorporate into an updated ministerial code.
The Labour leader added that until the new guideline is established, he believed it was appropriate to repay the gifts.
A Downing Street spokesperson confirmed that details of the repayments would be included in the next register of members’ interests.
The gifts in question include four tickets to a Taylor Swift concert, provided by Universal Music Group, valued at £2,800, and tickets to the Doncaster Races costing £1,939.
Additionally, Sir Keir has covered an £839 clothing rental from Canadian designer Edeline Lee, which his wife Lady Victoria recently showed off at London Fashion Week.
A recent poll conducted by think-tank More in Common revealed that Starmer’s approval rating has plummeted to -27, a staggering drop of 38 points since July.
For context, former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was at -28 when he called the election in May.
