Minister grilled on TV over PM’s free Arsenal tickets while slashing winter fuel help - ‘I worry'

Jess Phillips said she was 'satisfied' with Keir Starmer's mentation that helium cannot ticker his beloved Arsenal successful the stands truthful sits successful firm seats due to the fact that of information reasons

A curate has admitted she "worries astir however things look" aft it emerged Keir Starmer has enjoyed thousands of pounds worthy of escaped shot tickets portion slashing wintertime substance allowance for pensioners.

Jess Phillips said she was "satisfied" with the PM's mentation that helium cannot ticker his beloved Arsenal successful the stands truthful sits successful firm seats due to the fact that of information reasons. But the Home Office curate admitted she "always" worries astir however things look due to the fact that she wants the nationalist to spot the authorities arsenic "working to effort to marque things better" for them.

Ms Phillips defended Mr Starmer and said helium has "lived wholly by the rules" aft it was reported helium received £107,145 successful summons and gifts, benefits and hospitality since becoming Labour Party leader. But asked if she was acrophobic however it looks astatine a clip erstwhile the authorities was scrapping the wintertime substance allowance for millions of pensioners, she said: "Of course, I ever interest astir however everything looks."

She continued: "Those 2 things are wholly abstracted things and had helium ne'er been to ticker the Arsenal determination would inactive beryllium a £22billion achromatic spread that had to beryllium paid for. But of people I interest astir however things look and I privation radical to consciousness similar the authorities is having to marque immoderate very, precise hard decisions but fundamentally is moving to effort to marque things better. All I tin accidental is I'm perfectly knackered trying to marque things better."

Ms Phillips aboriginal said radical talented politicians things similar escaped theatre tickets due to the fact that they privation them to beryllium spotted supporting their shows. She said immoderate person who said they hadn't been invited and gone to their section theatre to ticker thing was "lying".

Mr Starmer has received much lavish gifts and hospitality than immoderate different MP since December 2019. It includes thousands connected shot tickets, including £6,000 connected tickets for Arsenal matches, glasses and clothes, and £4,000 connected Taylor Swift tickets during the General Election campaign. Earlier this week the PM was besides dragged into a enactment aft it emerged Labour donor Lord Alli had paid for outfits for his woman Victoria, which weren’t declared wrong the 28 time clip limit.

Defending his determination to judge firm hospitality, the PM connected Thursday said helium cannot spell successful the stands astatine Arsenal for information reasons. Mr Starmer, who has been an Arsenal play summons holder for years, added: "The nine person made arrangements for maine to ticker from elsewhere, it's arsenic elemental arsenic that."

But amid the enactment implicit freebies, Dame Harriet Harman, a erstwhile Labour acting leader, told Sky News that doubling down was making things worse. She said: "You tin either treble down connected it and effort and warrant it oregon you tin conscionable accidental it was astir apt a misstep, if I had my clip again I wouldn't bash it and truthful I'm going to auction for foundation oregon something.

"It's not a hanging offence, but I deliberation doubling down and trying to warrant it is making things worse. He's not a benignant of money-focused, greedy benignant person. He is simply a idiosyncratic of nationalist service. So this is somewhat retired of line. And he'll beryllium wanting to woody with it."

Mr Starmer has besides been battling a enactment implicit reports his main of unit Sue Gray is paid much than him. She reportedly asked for and was fixed a wage of £170,000. She was allegedly warned that her wage being much than the PM's could marque news, but she declined to person it reduced. No10 person slapped down the claims.

Ms Phillips deed backmost astatine the reports but admitted "there does look to beryllium a occupation with leaking" wrong Downing Street. Talking astir the antagonistic briefings astir Ms Gray, she said: "I can't accidental wherefore idiosyncratic would bash that. I'd overmuch alternatively radical conscionable cracked connected with their jobs. When I interact with No10... with Sue Gray, with the Prime Minister oregon with anyone other successful No10, each they're ever talking astir is: 'How are we going to present this? What is the timeframe connected this? When are we going to bash this?'

"Specifically against unit against women and girls, I consciousness similar they're breathing down my cervix a batch of the clip - which I welcome. I don't cognize wherefore idiosyncratic would bash that and I privation really the world of the mode I woody with No10 was what radical saw."

She said the Government is functioning good but "there does look to beryllium a occupation with leaking", adding: "Isn't that ever the case? People leak from Government departments. Hasn't that ever been the case? I'd privation they wouldn't."