Sir Keir Starmer's Downing Street flat has been furnished and refurbished at a cost of almost £30,000.
The Cabinet Office, responsible for outfitting the Downing Street estate's residences, spent £14,319 on refurbishment and £15,442 on furnishing the flat for Sir Keir.
This total of £29,761 is notably less than the £30,000 taxpayer-funded allowance, the annual public grant allocated for the prime minister's official residence.
A freedom of information request revealed purchases including three sofas (£4,440), a bed (£1,400), six kitchen chairs (£990), £9,000 for internal painting and £1,600 for a shower screen.
Sir Keir's family resides in No 11, one of two ministerial flats, having moved in after Jeremy Hunt.
The residence was previously occupied by Boris Johnson, whose lavish refurbishment reportedly totalled over £200,000, far exceeding the allocated grant and sparking controversy over its funding.
A Downing Street spokesperson said: “The flat was empty when the PM entered office, so the Cabinet Office furnished it as per long-standing guidance across successive administrations.
“The refurbishment came under the allocated budget, and none of the items belong to the Prime Minister. They will remain the property of the Government for future use.”
The Conservatives said Labour ministers had refused to say how the money was spent when asked through parliamentary questions to disclose an itemised list.
Alex Burghart, shadow chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said: “They were happy to keep MPs in the dark about sofas, furniture and refurbishment costs funded by taxpayers, until FOI forced the information into the open.
“Scrutiny is important and pushes the Government to make better decisions – sunlight is the best disinfectant.”
