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Louise Thomas
Editor
Sir Keir Starmer has said ministers do not need to follow his example and pay back ‘freebies’.
On Wednesday, the prime minister attempted to draw a line under the escalating row by repaying £6,000 for hospitality and gifts he had received since entering Downing Street.
But the move prompted questions over whether his senior ministers were supposed to follow suit.
Labour politicians have accepted ‘freebies’ ranging from tickets to football matches and music concerts to wardrobe upgrades. Now the prime minister has said his was a “personal decision, I am not saying others should do the same”.
Asked if cabinet ministers should follow his lead during a visit to Cheshire, he said: “No. I mean look, we are going to draw up some principles so that everyone can see the basis on which donations et cetera are being accepted.
“We are working on that. Until they are drawn up I decided to repay so that any future activities, of me or anybody else, are in accordance with whatever the new principles are.
“That is my personal decision, I am not saying others should do the same.”
Earlier, Ed Miliband denied that ministers were under pressure from the PM to return donations following the row that has engulfed the Labour Party in recent weeks.
But one government minister told The Times there is confusion over what they can and can’t accept, accusing the prime minister of having let the row drag on.
They said: “It’s all dragged on for too long. We are not sure what we are supposed to do.
“I am just not going to accept anything now, which means there are events in my sector now that I won’t be able to go to.
“It’s strange because it’s the same team who were so effective in opposition, but they haven’t handled this well.”
But the energy secretary denied that cabinet ministers were under pressure to return any donations, saying the prime minister is in a “particular position”.
Asked if he has been instructed to pay anything back, Mr Miliband told the BBC: “No, look, I think the PM is in a particular position because he’s the prime minister and he wanted to send a signal that he gets public disquiet about these issues.
“And obviously one way of dealing with that is to bring in new rules, which is what he says he’s going to do and I very much support that.
“But he’s also taken the step of paying back some of the money, just, I think, to send a very clear signal that he gets it on this issue.”
He said he was comfortable with choices he made regarding donations, adding that he is “very happy to defend” them.
Sir Keir’s announcement that he will return thousands of pounds worth of freebies came on the same day an investigation was launched into the probity of billionaire Labour donor Waheed Alli who was responsible for many of the gifts to the prime minister, his wife Victoria and members of the cabinet.
After weeks of claiming he had done nothing wrong, the move to return donations indicates an acceptance of growing criticism over the prime minister’s decision to accept £107,000 in gifts since 2019.
Sir Keir announced he will cover the cost of six Taylor Swift tickets, four to the races and a clothing rental agreement with a high-end designer favoured by his wife.
It came two days after he announced that the rules on declaring donations and gifts will be tightened up.
Pat McFadden, the chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, claimed the existing rules were a “Tory loophole” designed to protect previous Conservative ministers.
