PM, Sir Keir Starmer labor leaders to stop accepting donations for clothing amid controversy

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, and Chancellor Rachel Reeves will no longer accept donations for clothing following a dispute over gifts, according to a source from Downing Street.

The prime minister faced criticism after reports revealed that he had received more than £16,000 for work clothing and spectacles, with additional donations for his wife, from Labor peer Lord Waheed Alli. The Financial Times also reported that Rayner and Reeves declared thousands of pounds in work clothing as “general office support” from wealthy donors.

Sir Keir maintained that he has always adhered to the rules on donations. Labor is attempting to move past the controversy ahead of its first annual conference in Liverpool since its landslide general election victory in July.

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Rayner, who is set to open the conference, emphasized “restoring trust in politics” and vowed to make irreversible changes to devolution laws to ensure northern regions are no longer controlled by Whitehall.

Former Labor deputy leader Baroness Harman expressed concern about the prime minister receiving clothing and spectacles as gifts, noting that most people must buy their own work attire.

Lord Alli, a key Labor donor and head of party fundraising, has come under renewed scrutiny after it was revealed that Sir Keir failed to declare a £5,000 donation for his wife’s clothing. Despite calls from the Conservatives to investigate undeclared gifts related to a personal shopper and clothing alterations, no formal inquiry was launched.

The controversy has also touched Rayner and Reeves. The Financial Times reported that Lord Alli donated £3,550 to Rayner for clothing, which was registered as support for her role as deputy leader of the Labor Party. Reeves received £7,500 from donor Juliet Rosenfeld between January 2023 and May 2024, which was also used for clothing.

Critics, including the Conservatives and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, have accused labor of hypocrisy, noting that Sir Keir and his team accepted free clothing while advocating for integrity and morality. SNP spokesperson Kirsty Blackman also criticized Labor for emulating the “worst excesses” of the Conservative Party.

It remains unclear whether the new policy of refusing donations for clothing will apply to the prime minister’s wife, who also received clothing and personal shopper services paid for by Lord Alli.

The prime minister has also been criticized for accepting thousands of pounds in free football tickets, despite being an Arsenal season ticket holder. Sir Keir defended his actions, stating that security concerns prevent him from sitting in the stands, and he does not want to burden taxpayers with additional costs.

Free tickets to sporting events have been provided to more than 70 MPs over the past year, with donations coming from private donors, corporations, football clubs, and sports governing bodies.