Sir Keir Starmer, the £18million penthouse and excuses that just don't add up: Prime Minister faces string of questions over use of Lord Alli's luxury London flat By David Churchil Chief Political Correspondent Published: 23:35, 25 September 2024 | Updated: 23:36, 25 September 2024 e-mail View comments Sir Keir Starmer was last night facing mounting questions over his use of a peer's £18million penthouse. The freebies row engulfing his premiership intensified as he tried to justify £20,000-worth of stays in the flat of Labour donor Lord Alli. He was later accused of 'hoodwinking' the public after it emerged he used the same Covent Garden flat, dressed to look like his own home, to record a video urging the public to stay at home during the Covid pandemic.
And it emerged last night that the Prime Minister's sombre tribute to the late Queen, in which he described her as a 'symbol of the best of us', following her death in 2022, was also filmed in Lord Alli's London flat. Under scrutiny over his acceptance of gifts, Sir Keir yesterday said a seven-week stay at Lord Alli's home around the time of the election was necessary to help his son revise for his GCSEs 'in peace', with journalists and protesters gathering outside his north London townhouse. Pictured: : Lord Alli's luxury penthouse is in this Covent Garden block Sir Keir Starmer addresses the nation in a video urging people to stay at home during the pandemic Pictured: Lord Alli attends the launch of new exhibition 'Fill.