Sir Keir Starmer is under renewed fire today as the "glasses for passes" scandal shows no sign of abating. This morning it was revealed that top Labour donor Lord Alli, who was mysteriously granted an access-all-areas pass to Downing Street after the election, gave the Starmers access to his house at times during the election. The Telegraph , which published the revelation this morning, says this generous gift was worth more than £20,000.
The news comes after fury was sparked when it emerged Lord Alli had also given Lady Starmer over £ 5,000 worth of designer clothes and a personal shopping experience, all while the Government moves to take away pensioners’ winter fuel allowance. The donations to the Prime Minister’s wife were not declared in line with parliamentary transparency rules, and have now sparked calls for a formal sleaze investigation by the Commons standards body. Yesterday the PM told journalists he will continue to take gifts from Lord Alli, who has given nearly £1 million to the Labour Party and its politicians over the past two decades.
Sir Keir said “all members of parliament get gifts” and “the important thing is that they’re declared in accordance with the rules”. Despite the row surrounding free clothes, both Sir Keir and his wife brazenly attended fashion events in London yesterday, with the PM hosting a British Fashion Council Reception in Downing Street. The PM insisted that his team had ‘reached out’ to inquire about declaration ru.