Keir Starmer's promise of a clean break from Tory sleaze was tarnished when it emerged he accepted clothing and concert tickets from a Labour donor. The incident, dubbed 'Freebiegate', sparked accusations of cronyism and fueled public skepticism about Labour's integrity.
‘The public expected us to be squeaky clean ... now they think we’re all the same’: how freebiegate rocked Labour
The same was true of the freebies row. And while there was no evidence in this instance that parliamentary rules had been broken, or that improper favours had been sought by those who offered the gifts, it created a huge political headache for Labour admitted that he had attended some meetings, but said that no civil servants had been present. “I don’t think it’s unusual for people to have passes to attend political meetings if they need to do so,” said Pat McFadden, the Cabinet Office minister.Privately, his cabinet colleagues disagreed. “What was the pass even for?” one asked.
Angela Rayner and the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, had also accepted donations of clothes and gifts. Alli had also lent Rayner his Manhattan apartment for a holiday and bankrolled a 40th birthday party for the education secretary, Bridget Phillipson.A picture of Starmer and his wife at a Taylor Swift concert in London in June, which he shared on X.
MPs, already under siege from angry constituents over that decision, were now forced to defend senior ministers from charges of hypocrisy. “It was awful,” says one MP. “They were very publicly enjoying the trappings of power at just the same time they were taking away support from some really vulnerable people.”
Labour Party Keir Starmer Sleaze Cronyism Waheed Alli
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