Keir Starmer is facing questions about whether his £35,000 of free tickets from football clubs risks a conflict of interest as his government prepares to bring in a new regulator opposed by the industry. The prime minister has been under scrutiny for days over his more than £100,000 of freebies and gifts over the last parliament, with another £8,000-plus due to be registered for the free use of a hospitality box at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium. He has also accepted £2,000 of free glasses, £16,000 of work clothes and use during the election of a £18m luxury penthouse flat from a Labour donor, Lord Alli .
The business secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, said on Thursday that Starmer’s attendance at Arsenal football matches and Taylor Swift concerts was “part of the job”. The cabinet minister said he had “no problem” with politicians accepting gifts that can be of “a more personal nature” and said “hard-working” politicians were entitled to “a bit of relaxation”. Starmer also defended the decision to accept a free box at Arsenal, saying it would save the taxpayer “a fortune” on security.
“Now I’m prime minister, the security advice is that I can’t go to the stands. Or if I did, you’d have to do so much to the security and it would cost the taxpayer a fortune as a result,” he told ITV London. “I’ve been offered tickets elsewhere in the ground where it’s more secure.
We don’t have to use taxpayer money on additional security. And that’.