STARMER’S £100,000 OF GIFTS AND TICKETS – AND HOW IT COMPARES TO SUNAK, JOHNSON AND MAY
The Prime Minister is under fresh scrutiny over his pledge to “clean up” politics after it emerged that he has accepted more freebies than any other MP since 2019.
Since becoming party leader, Keir Starmer has accepted over £100,000 perks including tickets to high-profile sporting events, luxury accommodation, and work attire funded by prominent Labour donor Lord Waheed Alli.
He has faced criticism over the scale and nature of these gifts, particularly as Lord Alli was briefly granted access to Downing Street following the 2024 election.
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds defended the gifts on Thursday morning, insisting that there are “a number of ways supporters support any political party”.
Mr Reynolds told Sky News: “Sometimes that’s support for campaign literature, sometimes that’s support for staffing costs, sometimes it’s of more of a personal nature.”
“But I have no objection to that, and we have very clear rules and transparency in place in this area, so I have no objection to how the system works.”
He insisted that the gifts the Prime Minister had received while in opposition “relate to his job”, adding: “I know Keir Starmer personally. I know how hard he works.”
“If he’s going to a football match or anything to give himself a little bit of a wider life experience than just working every second again, I don’t have any objections to that, as long as it’s transparent.”
How do Keir Starmer’s gifts compare to other party leaders?
In the last parliament, Keir Starmer accepted gifts and hospitality worth around £107,000 during his time as party leader, which included tickets to football games and concerts as well as accommodation and clothes.
The Prime Ministers during the Conservative administration entered No 10 as soon as they became party leaders and did not spend any time in opposition.
During their stints as Prime Minister, however, Rishi Sunak, Boris Johnson and Theresa May did accept some hospitality which was separate from their Government responsibilities.
Unlike the MP register, the exact value of the hospitality given to ministers is not stated in government transparency data.
While he was the leader of the opposition, David Cameron declared he had received free private travel by plane and helicopter on over a dozen occasions provided by five different companies, the total value of which was upwards of £60,000.
He also declared several gifts which included Rugby World Cup tickets, some personal training sessions and gift baskets from donors.
Ed Miliband declared a handful of gifts while he was leader of the opposition, including business class upgrades and tickets to the Olympics and Paralympics.
While she was Prime Minister, Theresa May received free tickets to concerts and plays at the National Theatre and Royal Opera House, as well as several tickets to cricket matches and the Chelsea Flower Show.
Jeremy Corbyn declared that he received Glastonbury tickets worth about £450 two years in a row for a family member but he otherwise did not accept hospitality as Labour leader from 2015 to 2020.
During his time in No 10, Boris Johnson received tickets to two football matches donated by UEFA and was given use of the Windsor Suite at Heathrow Airport in August 2020.
Rishi Sunak made very few declarations of hospitality or gifts during his time as Prime Minister but did declare that he received the use of a helicopter during the election campaign from party donor Richard Harpin.
What are the rules for MPs and ministers accepting gifts and hospitality?
The gifts and hospitality given to Keir Starmer were provided while he was in opposition, and so were declared on his register of interest as an MP.
MPs must register any gifts, benefits, or hospitality that are worth more than £300, or if the total value of gifts received in a year exceeds £300.
They must also register any gifts over £500 that come from a donor who is not registered in the UK.
The rules are different, however, for the Prime Minister and other members of his Government.
The Ministerial Code states: “It is a well-established and recognised rule that no Minister should accept gifts, hospitality or services from anyone which would, or might appear to, place him or her under an obligation. The same principle applies if gifts etc are offered to a member of their family.”
If they attend an event in their official capacity as a minister, they are not required to declare it on their MP register of interest. Instead, the gift or hospitality is released in transparency data by their department.
Ministers are also required to declare all external meetings they have with relevant individuals such as senior journalists, business groups and campaigners, as well as any foreign visits they undertake.
Gifts given to ministers while they are undertaking government duties can be accepted if they are under the value of £140.
Any gift over this value should be handed over to their department or disposed of, but they can opt to purchase it from the department if they want to keep it.
The Prime Minister has said it is “very important” to him that rules were followed and that “we have transparency” in the wake of the revelations.
He said: “I’ve always said that. I said that before the election, I’ve reinforced it after the election,” adding: “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.
“They then sought out further advice more recently, as a result of which they made the relevant declarations. But, for me, it’s really important that the rules are followed. That’s why I was very pleased my team reached out proactively — not once, but twice — because it is very important that we have transparency.”
All the gifts and tickets Keir Starmer has received
Sports event tickets
- Two tickets to the Euros Final in July 2021 worth £1,628, donated by the Premier League.
- Two tickets to the Challenge Cup Final in July 2021 worth £618, donated by Rugby Football League.
- Four box tickets with lunch for Arsenal vs Watford in November 2021 worth £2,160, donated by Premier League.
- Four tickets with lunch and drinks for Saracens vs Bath rugby match in February 2022 worth £1,800, donated by Saracens.
- Four tickets for Watford vs Arsenal in March 2022 worth £1,416, donated by Watford Football Club.
- Directors Box hospitality for two people for Crystal Palace vs Arsenal in April 2022 worth £720, donated by Crystal Palace Football Club.
- Two tickets for West Ham vs Arsenal in May 2022 worth £385, donated by Practico.
- Four tickets with hospitality to Swansea vs Luton championship match in August 2022 worth £1,200, donated by Swansea City AFC.
- Six tickets with hospitality for Doncaster Races in September 2022 worth £3,024, donated by Arena Racing Company (not attended due to passing of Queen Elizabeth II).
- Four tickets with hospitality for England vs USA Women’s Football Match at Wembley in October 2022 worth £580, donated by The Football Association.
- Four tickets with hospitality for Chelsea vs Arsenal in November 2022 worth £1,650, donated by Jonathan Goldstein.
- Two tickets with hospitality for Arsenal vs Brighton in November 2022 worth £1,080, donated by Arsenal Football Club.
- Four tickets with hospitality for Tottenham Hotspur vs Arsenal in January 2023 worth £1,600, donated by Getir UK Limited.
- Two tickets with hospitality for West Ham vs Arsenal in April 2023 worth £700, donated by Mulalley & Co. Limited.
- Private box for four people at Epsom Downs Racecourse in June 2023 worth £3,716, donated by Jockey Club Racecourses.
- Three tickets with hospitality for Crystal Palace vs Arsenal in August 2023 worth £2,142, donated by Crystal Palace Football Club.
- Five tickets with hospitality for Swansea City vs Bournemouth in August 2023 worth £800, donated by Swansea City AFC.
- Two tickets with hospitality for Chelsea vs Arsenal in October 2023 worth £2,400, donated by Cain International UK Services.
- Four tickets with hospitality for Newcastle United vs Arsenal in November 2023 worth £1,000, donated by Teescraft Engineering.
- Two tickets with hospitality in the Chairman’s Lounge for West Ham vs Arsenal in February 2024 worth £2,000, donated by West Ham United.
- Four match tickets and hospitality for Norwich City vs Sunderland in March 2024 worth £820, donated by Norwich City Football Club.
- Five tickets with hospitality for Arsenal vs Porto in March 2024 worth £3,000, donated by Premier League.
- Hospitality and match tickets for Manchester City vs Arsenal in March 2024 worth £900, donated by Manchester City Football Club.
- Four tickets with hospitality for Brighton vs Arsenal in April 2024 worth £500, donated by Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club.
- Four tickets and hospitality for Arsenal vs Wolverhampton Wanderers in April 2024 worth £1,488, donated by Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club.
- Five tickets and hospitality for Tottenham Hotspur vs Arsenal in April 2024 worth £2,500, donated by Tottenham Hotspur.
- Two tickets in the Directors’ Box (including dining) for Manchester United vs Arsenal in May 2024 worth £1,790, donated by Manchester United.
Concert, theatre and event tickets
- A ticket to Taste of London in July 2021 worth £192, donated by Just Eat.
- A ticket to the British Kebab Awards in October 2021 worth £522, donated by Just Eat.
- Four tickets with hospitality for an Adele concert at Hyde Park in July 2022 worth £479, donated by The Royal Parks.
- Two tickets with hospitality for the Royal Box at Wimbledon in July 2022 worth £740, donated by All England Lawn Tennis Club.
- Four tickets with hospitality to the Women’s European Semi Final in July 2022 worth £1,000, donated by The Football Association.
- One ticket and hospitality for the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in July 2022 worth £450, donated by the Commonwealth Games Federation.
- Two tickets to the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo in August 2022 worth £773.48, donated by Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.
- Four tickets with hospitality for the Jingle Bell Ball in December 2022 worth £999.96, donated by Global Media.
- Four tickets with hospitality for a Coldplay concert at Etihad Stadium, Manchester, in June 2023 worth £698, donated by SJM Concerts.
- Four tickets to the Jingle Bell Ball with hospitality in December 2023 worth £800, donated by Global Media.
- Four tickets to see “Nye” plus dinner in May 2024 worth £358, donated by National Theatre.
- Four tickets with hospitality to a Taylor Swift concert in June 2024 worth £4,000, donated by The Football Association Premier League Limited.
Hotels and accommodation
- Loan of a house in Swansea for three nights for four people in August 2022 worth £3,000, donated by Morgan’s Hotel.
- Hotel accommodation for four people for one night in June 2023 worth £937, donated by Matthew Moulding.
- Accommodation for four people in Gower in August 2023 worth £4,500, donated by Crownhawk Properties (trading as the LCV Group).
- Accommodation from May to July 2024 worth £20,437.28, donated by Lord Waheed Ali.
- Hotel accommodation during his leadership campaign for Starmer and his staff between January and February 2020 worth £2,774, donated by Trust Reservations.
Other gifts and hospitality
- An oil painting in November 2021 worth £1,500, donated by Tim Benson.
- Band merchandise, including original artwork, in September 2022 worth £350, donated by Edwyn Collins.
- Work clothing in April 2024 worth £16,200, donated by Lord Waheed Ali.
- Multiple pairs of glasses in April 2024 worth £2,485, donated by Lord Waheed Ali.