The Labour freebies scandal has continued as the Lord who donated clothes and glasses to Keir Starmer is under investigation.
Labour peer Waheed Alli is under investigation by the Lords’ commissioner over “alleged non-registration of interests” leading to a possible breach of the members’ code of conduct.
Starmer has claimed he borrowed Alli’s flat during the election because his son needed somewhere to revise for his GCSEs. The PM said his family home was besieged by journalists during the election campaign.
Alli gave Starmer £16,200 for outfits and £2,485 for glasses, as well as £20,000-worth of accommodation during the campaign.
The rules under which Alli is being investigated relate to making clear what the interests are that might be reasonably thought to influence a member’s parliamentary actions and ensuring entries are up to date.
The Prime Minister has since committed to overhauling hospitality rules for ministers to ensure better transparency about what is provided.
Alli, a media tycoon who has been known in political circles for years and donated to Labour for more than two decades, has been brought to wider public attention in recent weeks due to scrutiny of his donations to the Prime Minister.
Starmer has said Alli was motivated to help financially because he wanted Labour to win the election.
There is no suggestion that the Prime Minister or members of his Cabinet broke any rules in accepting the freebies.
SNP Cabinet Office spokesperson Brendan O’Hara MP said:
“I welcome the announcement of this investigation, following calls from the SNP. The Labour Party freebies scandal has wrecked public confidence in Keir Starmer, his government and the Westminster system, and there must be full transparency and accountability.
“It’s now essential that in addition to this narrow inquiry, there is a full investigation by Standards Commissioners and the Independent Adviser on Ministers’ Interests into all the donations made by Lord Alli to Labour MPs and the subsequent granting of a Downing Street security pass.
“Voters are appalled that Labour ministers have been lining their pockets with more than £800,000 of luxury designer clothes, holidays, hospitality and donations, while imposing painful austerity cuts on the rest of us, and they want to know what donors were getting in exchange.
“We need answers – including why these gifts were taken, whether there have been breaches of the MPs and ministerial code, and why Lord Alli was handed a security pass to the halls of power.”
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