Donations to MPs are “a feature of our politics”, Angela Rayner has insisted amid a row over Labour politicians accepting gifts and freebies. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer had come in for criticism in the past week over accepting more than £100,000-worth of gifts, including tickets to football matches, concerts and luxury clothes . But he, Rayner and Chancellor Rachel Reeves have now said they will no longer accept donations in the future to pay for clothes.
The deputy prime minister spoke to the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, where she stressed the importance of “transparency” when MPs receive donations and gifts. Rayner, speaking ahead of the opening of the Labour Party conference in Liverpool, said she understood why people were angry, but added donations were “a feature of our politics”. She said: “I get that people are frustrated, in particular the circumstances that we’re in, but donations for gifts and hospitality and monetary donations have been a feature of our politics for a very long time.
“People can look it up and see what people have had donations for, and the transparency is really important.” The deputy PM argued that donations were relied upon to fund leadership campaigns – including the current Conservative leadership race. She added: “I get that people are angry, I get that people are upset.
I think the transparency is there so people can see that. “Now, if there is a national debate about how we fund politics a.