Sir Keir Starmer has faced questioning and criticism recently for accepting gifts from Labour peer Waheed Alli, and the Conservatives have written to the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner calling for an investigation.
Earlier this week, the prime minister signalled that he would continue to accept such gifts despite the negative comments, insisting that there is “a massive difference between declarations and corruption”.
Why is the prime minister in this situation, and what are the rules governing politicians accepting gifts and hospitality?
What gifts has Sir Keir Starmer taken?
The Sunday Times revealed that Sir Keir accepted clothes for his wife, Victoria, Lady Starmer from Labour donor Lord Alli before and after the Labour government won the general election in July. The former Asos chairman paid for the cost of clothes, alterations and a personal shopper.
A controversy arose because the prime minister failed to declare the donations in the register of MPs’ interests within the designated time limit. He approached the parliamentary authorities to register the high-end clothing gifts on 17 September, the Sunday Times reported.
Sir Keir has said it was “very important” to him that rules are followed and that “we have transparency”. “And that’s why, shortly after the election, my team reached out for advice on what declaration should be made, so it’s in accordance with the rules,” he said.
The prime minister has accepted a number of football tickets, including the use of a corporate box at Arsenal football club, which begin at £8,750 per game. “I’m a massive Arsenal fan. I can’t go into the stands because of security reasons,” Sir Keir said. “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 never going to an Arsenal game again because I can’t accept hospitality is pushing it a bit far,” he continued.
What are the rules for politicians accepting gifts and hospitality?
The Government website states that MPs have to register any gifts or donations they receive within 28 days of receiving them, which is why the prime minister has faced criticism.
It also says:
- Gifts should be of a nominal or notional value
- The gift must be given for an appropriate reason
- The gift must be of a “one-off” or irregular nature
The rules further state that any gifts worth more than £300 must be formally registered, and that when gifts with a value of over £500 are offered, an MP must ensure they have come from a “permissible donor” who is registered in the UK. It is mandatory that MPs provide the name and address of the donor, the value of the gift and the dates when it was accepted and received when registering a gift or donation.
Regarding hospitality, members “should not encourage business contacts to provide hospitality to them, or indirectly to other colleagues, friends or relatives”. It is considered appropriate to accept a “working lunch, dinner or attendance at an annual stakeholder event” where it is:
- Not lavish in nature
- Not a frequent occurrence; and
- There is no suspicion of a conflict of interest
