Sir Keir Starmer was branded ‘weak’ last night as it emerged he won’t ban ministers from accepting freebies – and isn’t telling them to repay any.
No10 sources said his top team will be free to carry on bagging complimentary hospitality, such as tickets to concerts and sporting events.
It comes amid a furious backlash against the scale of freebies accepted by the Prime Minister and those close to him, and despite him promising to lead a ‘government of change’.
He has, however, confirmed that the Government is looking into an overhaul of the rules surrounding the registration of gifts for MPs and ministers. It came as a string of Cabinet ministers refused to follow Sir Keir’s lead by paying back freebies.
The Daily Mail contacted the PM’s entire top team after he repaid £6,000 of gifts and hospitality on Wednesday, saying: ‘It was right for me to make those repayments.’
Sir Keir Starmer was branded ‘weak’ last night as it emerged he won’t ban ministers from accepting freebies
But all those in his Cabinet who have bagged freebies since entering Downing Street on July 5 declined to say that they would follow suit – or tried to justify not repaying them.
It suggests the PM is at odds with his own Cabinet over how to deal with the scandal.
It came as a new YouGov poll found nearly four in five people (79 per cent) think Sir Keir was right to repay the freebies.
Just 6 per cent said he was wrong to, suggesting the public would back other Cabinet ministers doing so and support a future ban on accepting tickets and hospitality for major events.
However, according to No 10 insiders, Sir Keir is leaving his top team to decide for themselves whether to follow his lead. Among those who declined to say whether they would repay freebies were Deputy PM Angela Rayner, who accepted an £836 ‘visit to a DJ booth’ while raving at an Ibiza nightclub, and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden.
He received tickets for him and his wife to a Bruce Springsteen concert at Wembley Stadium worth more than £300.
It also included Environment Secretary Steve Reed, who accepted £583.25 worth tickets to a Kylie Minogue concert, and Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, who got two tickets to the Royal Box at Wimbledon and two tickets to a Taylor Swift concert at Wembley Stadium.
Meanwhile, Health Secretary Wes Streeting had four hospitality tickets to the same Taylor Swift concert and Commons Leader Lucy Powell accepted £1,000 of tickets to an England cricket match at Lord’s and the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
Indicating that Ms Powell will not repay the freebies, a source close to her said she ‘welcomes full transparency and any tightening of the rules as we work as a government to drive up standards in public life.’ All the others declined to say whether they would pay theirs back.
Environment Secretary Steve Reed accepted £583.25 worth of tickets to a Kylie Minogue concert
Health Secretary Wes Streeting had four hospitality tickets to a Taylor Swift concert
The PM and his wife Victoria attended a Taylor Swift gig at Wembley Stadium in June
Lady Starmer donned a £1,100 dress by Edeline Lee at Labour’s conference in Liverpool last month. The brand said it had ‘loaned’ the garment and matching shoes to the PM’s wife
The PM’s wife also wore an Edeline Lee outfit at the designer’s event during London Fashion Week last month
Tory leadership contender Robert Jenrick said: ‘The Cabinet is now completely at odds with the Prime Minister, who’s clearly indicated by paying back £6,000 that accepting freebies on this scale since entering government was wrong. Labour’s position is now in complete disarray, compromised by the rank hypocrisy of their top team. Keir Starmer is clearly weak.’
Highlighting splits among ministers over the issue, industry minister Sarah Jones yesterday suggested there should be a future ban on accepting hospitality and that she may pay back a ticket she received to attend the BBC Proms.
Party grandee Baroness Harriet Harman said: ‘We need to have some new rules and a new process.’
She added: ‘Actually (Sir Keir) is the leader of the Government and he needs to make the decision about what other Cabinet Ministers pay back, not leave it as a personal matter.’
Former PM Sir Tony Blair urged Sir Keir to ‘rise above’ the freebies row as he said it doesn’t worry him because he believes it won’t ‘displace the overall [mission] of the Government’.
On Wednesday, Downing Street said Sir Keir will repay £3,398 for six Taylor Swift concert hospitality tickets he received since becoming PM.
He is also paying back £1,939 for tickets to the Doncaster races and £839 for a clothing rental deal with Edeline Lee, the designer whose outfit was worn by Lady Starmer to London Fashion Week.
However, he will not repay more than £38,000 of clothes and glasses donated to him and his wife by Labour peer Lord Alli ahead of the election.
