UK PM Keir Starmer in hot water for accepting freebies, insists he’s done nothing wrong

Despite being successful bureau little than 3 months, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has already raised eyebrows for accepting donations successful the signifier of apparel and different gifts from a affluent businessman. 

The Labour Party leader, who won powerfulness successful a landslide triumph connected a committedness to reconstruct spot successful politics, has denied immoderate wrongdoing implicit thousands of pounds worthy of apparel and eyeglasses paid for by Waheed Alli, a media entrepreneur and longtime donor to the party. 

The headache for Starmer was compounded aft a BBC report disclosed his main of staff, Sue Gray, is paid 170,000 pounds, oregon $225,000, a year, which is astir 3,000 pounds much than the premier minister's salary.

A erstwhile elder civilian servant, Gray is champion known for starring an probe into lockdown-breaching parties successful authorities buildings during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer listens to the code of Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves astatine the Labour Party Conference successful Liverpool, England, Monday, Sept. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Jon Super)

Gray's findings helped instrumentality down Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and her consequent determination to enactment for Starmer led the Conservatives to assertion the "partygate" probe was politically biased – thing Gray has denied.

The Labour Party, meanwhile, has accused the Conservatives of whipping up a contention to tarnish the government.  

Lawmakers tin judge gifts but indispensable state donations and extra-parliamentary income wrong 28 days — a deadline Starmer missed. He blamed the hold connected his unit seeking proposal connected precisely what needed to beryllium declared.

"I'm precise accordant with pursuing the rules," Starmer said this week, rejecting suggestions that premier ministers should get a wardrobe budget.

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer leaves 10 Downing Street to be the play Prime Ministers' Questions league successful parliament successful London, Wednesday, July 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

Starmer dismissed claims of dissent among his unit astir Gray and her salary, insisting he's "completely successful control."

"I'm focused and each time the connection from maine to the squad is precisely the same, which is we person to deliver," helium told the BBC connected Thursday. "We were elected connected a large mandate to present change, I americium determined that we are going to bash that."

The standard of the freebies accepted by Starmer and his wife, Victoria, has perplexed adjacent his supporters. Sky News reported that Starmer has declared "gifts, benefits and hospitality" worthy much than 100,000 pounds since December 2019, much than immoderate different lawmaker.

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The donations see thousands of pounds' worthy of tickets for Premier League games involving the premier minister’s beloved shot team, Arsenal.

After contention erupted, the Labour Party said Starmer won’t judge immoderate much escaped outfits. 

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, right, and Foreign Secretary David Lammy, 2nd right, during a gathering with President Biden, centre left, successful the Blue Room astatine the White House successful Washington, Friday Sept. 13, 2024.  (Stefan Rousseau/Pool via AP)

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, who besides accepted donations to wage for clothing, told the BBC: "I get that radical are aggravated [but] donations for gifts and hospitality and monetary donations person been a diagnostic of our authorities for a precise agelong time."

"People tin look it up and spot what radical person had donations for, and the transparency is truly important," Rayner said. 

Labour leaders are hoping that an yearly four-day conference, which started connected Sunday, volition inject immoderate severely needed morale for the party. 

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Fox News Digital has reached retired to 10 Downing St. and Alli for further comment.  

The Associated Press contributed to this report.