Sir Keir Starmer 'will no longer accept clothes donations' following row over gifts to wife

Sir Keir Starmer will no longer accept clothes donations following a row over several gifts to his wife from Labour peer Lord Alli, according to reports.

Deputy PM Angela Rayner and Chancellor Rachel Reeves will also follow the leader of the Labour Party's decision.

It follows a row over Sir Keir’s alleged breach of parliamentary rules by failing to declare donations of clothing for his wife, Lady Starmer, within the designated time limit. The Tories have demanded a full investigation into the Starmers’ links with Labour peer Lord Alli and said the acceptance of luxury gifts “beggars belief” in the wake of the Labour Government’s decision to strip all but the country’s poorest pensioners of the winter fuel payment.

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The Sunday Times reported the donations covered the cost of a personal shopper, clothes and alterations for Lady Starmer both before and after Labour’s election win in July. MPs are required to register gifts and donations within 28 days.

Earlier this week, the Prime Minister signalled he would carry on taking gifts from Lord Alli amid a backlash over his wife’s clothes. He had insisted there was a “massive difference between declarations and corruption” as he faced questions over his alleged failure to register high-end clothing given to Lady Starmer by the prominent party donor on time.

Giving the example of football tickets, which the Prime Minister is known to accept as gifts, he said: “I’m a massive Arsenal fan. I can’t go into the stands because of security reasons. Therefore, if I don’t accept a gift of hospitality, I can’t go to a game. You could say, ‘well, bad luck’. That’s why gifts have to be registered.

“But, you know, never going to an Arsenal game again because I can’t accept hospitality is pushing it a bit far.”

Foreign Secretary David Lammy later suggested that Sir Keir and his wife Victoria accept such gifts to “look their best” for the country and rely on donations where other countries allow lavish, taxpayer-funded budgets for clothing for their leaders.

Number 10 has said it sought advice from the authorities on the issue of declarations and believed its conduct had been compliant “however, following further interrogation this month, we have declared further items”.

Conservative MP Andrew Griffith said: “It beggars belief that the Prime Minister thinks it’s acceptable that pensioners on £13,000 a year can afford to heat their home when he earns 12 times that, but apparently can’t afford to clothe himself or his wife.

“While his top team want a taxpayer-funded clothes budget to look sharp, people across the country are forced to make tough choices in the face of Labour’s damaging decisions.”