Keir Starmer gifts controversy

In September 2024, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer faced controversy after reports that he had failed to declare a gift of several thousands pounds worth of clothes to his wife by Labour Party donor Waheed Alli, Baron Alli. Subsequent debate arose over the number of gifts accepted by Starmer during his time as leader of the Labour Party, with Reuters reporting that he had accepted more gifts than any other MP since 2019.

Background

Keir Starmer, leader of the UK Labour Party and MP for Holborn and St Pancras, became the British Prime Minister following the 2024 United Kingdom general election, in which Labour won a significant majority. Standards in public office were a major point of debate in the election, following a number of scandals under previous Conservative Party government, including the 2024 United Kingdom general election date betting controversy, Partygate, and the Downing Street refurbishment controversy.

Timeline

On 15 September 2024, reports emerged in the British media that Starmer had initially failed to declare £5,000 of gifts used to purchase clothes for his wife, Victoria Starmer. It was subsequently reported that Starmer had accepted over 100 000 pounds worth of gifts since the 2019 United Kingdom general election, including tickets to Arsenal F.C. matches and Taylor Swift concerts, more than any other Member of Parliament during that period.

On 17 September, 10 Downing Street announced that Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards Daniel Greenberg would no investigate the gifts.

Analysis

George Eaton of the New Statesman that the controversy could not be described as a scandal, as no Parliamentary rules were broken nor was there clear evidence that any improper favour had been sought by those who offered Starmer gifts. Eaton however argued that the controversy still posed a political problem for Labour, as it left them facing accusations of hypocrisy and that it risked conflicting with the government's message of budget austerity. Sam Power of the University of Bristol wrote that, although the public may not interpret the gifts as evidence that the government would change policy for donors, the controversy did "speak to a general sense of unfairness – that the very rich have a proximity to power that others simply don’t."

Daniel Boffey of The Guardian wrote that "the issue of clothing and image has been a central cause" of discomfort for the partners of prime ministers in British history, due to their high profile in the media.

Reactions

Starmer stated that there was a "massive difference between declarations and corruption," saying that "all MPs get gifts" and that as Prime Minister, he "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."

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden defended Starmer over the controversy, saying that Starmer "will, and does, conduct himself with integrity" and that the controversy was "because of taking advice and trying to make sure you abide by the rules." Foreign Secretary David Lammy stated that British prime ministers "do rely on political donations so they can look their best both in the hope of representing the country."

See also

• List of political scandals in the United Kingdom