British PM Starmer will no longer accept gifts of clothes after donation row

LONDON - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will no longer accept gifts of clothing, his office said on Sept 20, responding to growing pressure from political opponents accusing him of hypocrisy.

While the gifts have been declared and do not breach parliamentary rules, the row broke out as his government was pushing Britons to accept short-term financial “pain for long-term good”.

Most controversially, Labour is planning to cut winter fuel payments, leaving millions of pensioners worse off by some £300 (S$516).

The measure has met with widespread opposition from within his own centre-left party.

Mr Starmer faced questions after an investigation by broadcaster Sky News and the Tortoise Media news website revealed he had received more than £100,000 in gifts and hospitality since December 2019.

They included invitations to football matches worth more than £40,000, tickets to concerts, lodging and clothing.

Labour donor Waheed Alli, a media entrepreneur who also sits in the House of Lords, gifted him £16,200 worth of clothes for work use, as well as several pairs of spectacles.

Mr Starmer has also confirmed that his wife Victoria, who recently attended a London Fashion Week show, accepted clothes worth £5,000 from Mr Alli. This did not appear on Mr Starmer’s register of gifts.

After days of mounting criticism, Downing Street said on Sept 20 evening that Mr Starmer, his deputy Angela Rayner and Finance Minister Rachel Reeves would no longer accept clothes gifted to them.

According to the Financial Times, both Ms Rayner and Ms Reeves had received such presents.

Mr Starmer, who became Labour leader in early 2020, earns about £167,000 annually.

Lawmaker Kemi Badenoch, a contender for the leadership of the opposition Conservatives, has accused Mr Starmer of “hypocrisy” over the issue.

The row blew up ahead of the Labour Party’s annual conference, which opens on Sept 22. AFP