The Conservatives have written to the Standards Commissioner, calling for a full investigation into Keir Starmer’s failure to disclose donations from Lord Waheed Alli. This comes after it emerged Starmer failed to declare the fact Alli footed the £5,000 bill for Starmer’s wife, Lady Vic, to indulge in a personal shopper and have her dresses and clothes altered. Potentially a serious breach of parliamentary rules…
Starmer, who previously reminded the Tories in 2021 of the need to declare donations within 28 days, now stands accused of not practicing what he preached. So much for his claims of governing with integrity, honesty, and promising to “clean up” politics…
Read the letter, written by a Conservative MP below:
“In August it was then reported that Lord Alli had been given a temporary Downing Street security pass despite having no formal government role. It was reported that he had played an active role in selecting Cabinet (and other) appointments.
“It has now emerged that at the same time Sir Keir Starmer failed to declare a substantial gift of designer clothes, tailoring and a personal shopper bought for his wife by Lord Alli, both prior to the General Election on July 4th 2024 and following it.”
“There must be a full investigation into this scandal given this is not the first instance of the Prime Minister failing to declare donations and abiding by parliamentary rules.”
“In August 2022 the Prime Minister, then Leader of the Opposition, was found to have breached the MPs’ Code of Conduct after failing to register eight interests in time.
“At the time the Prime Minister stated that he was “absolutely confident” he had not broken the MPs’ Code of Conduct. The subsequent investigation revealed eight breaches, five more than the initial complaint. Given previous infractions have proved to be greater than thought upon investigation, I believe it is essential that a full and thorough investigation be carried out on his latest flaunting of the rules.
“Following these prior breaches the then Parliamentary Standards Commissioner noted: ‘When making my decision, I took into account the explanations provided by Sir Keir, the content of Sir Keir’s discussions with the Registrar when registering these matters, and the fact that Sir Keir has now put additional measures in place to ensure the timely management of his future registrations.
“Also following the previous instance, a Labour Party spokesperson stated that “[Keir Starmer] has assured the commissioner that his office processes have been reviewed to ensure this doesn’t happen again.”
“Worryingly it has reoccurred just two years hence.”
The Conservatives also raised that this came the same week as the “Government’s decision to remove the Winter Fuel Payment from pensioners receiving far less in a year than Lady Starmer has had gifted to her in designer clothes on a handful of shopping trips”.
Responding to these revelations, Andrew Griffith MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Science and Technology, said:
“It beggars belief that the Prime Minister thinks it’s acceptable that pensioners on £13,000 a year can afford to heat their home when he earns 12 times that but apparently can’t afford to clothe himself or his wife.
“While his top team want a taxpayer-funded clothes budget to look sharp, people across the country are forced to make tough choices in the face of Labour’s damaging decisions.
“Labour promised change but in ten short weeks all they’ve delivered is a change of clothes for themselves. Labour have made the political choice to put themselves and their Union paymasters before the most vulnerable.”
Wes Streeting commented on his leadership ambitions after being played a 2018 clip of himself saying the Prime Minister in ten years “will probably be me”. He told LBC:
“I’m very happy doing the job that I’m doing, to be honest. It will be my sense of humour that will ultimately do for me one day. But if you don’t back yourself, who will? That’s my advice to the kids in my constituency.”