Why did a MP earning a good six figure salary with an intelligent and capable wife need a rich man to buy clothes for them both? Ā Why when he accepts free clothes for his wife did he not automatically register the gift? He would of course have known of his wifeās good fortune.
Any MP knows that gifts and grants worth thousands of pounds all need to be registered promptly. It is not as if he forgot, as he registered his own gift of clothes. He decided a gift to his wife did not need the same prompt treatment, then his office decided rightly they did need to register this.
This is a bigger issue because we were promised greater transparency and honesty from the new government. Labour in Opposition were eternally vigilant for the slightest error or questionable judgement by Conservative Ministers and MPs . We were promised a new puritan era of government staying well within the tight rules. I remember being challenged because I had not declared an article I had written for the FT. They were so disappointed when I explained that I refused payment so there was nothing to declare.
The U.K. does not give the PMās Ā wife a national role as First Lady with official engagements and an admin office to organise events. We have Ā a royal family to do that. Only occasionally does a PMās wife accompany her husband when he has a work engagement. She is not the focus of attention and it would be a distraction if a PM ās wife wanted to make her fashion sense the talk of the journalists rather than the event they were attending. A PM ās wife can dress well from any store or mail order retailer at affordable prices and can wear suitable garments on more than one occasion. There is no need to rely on a donor for a fancy wardrobe. Mrs Starmer has her own senior role in the NHS paying her a salary.
This is one of those gifts that comes with a big political price.It jars with many voters when it is the background to taking away Ā£300 of heating help for pensioners. Well paid Labour MPs charging taxpayers for energy bills on their second homes also sits uneasily with the present news.
September 16, 2024
Good morning.
I seem to remember the tabacco advertising scandal started the first week of a Labour government. It went on to the original expenses scandal where, if I again remember, a former Labour MP and now (then) speaker, Speaker Martin, tried to cover up and prevent MP’s expenses from being released. We then went on to LIBOR-GATE, which I have mentioned recently.
The more things change the more they stay the same, eh ?
September 16, 2024
Indeed pathetic children let loose in a sweet shop stuffing their pockets full. Was always thus.
Starmer can also draw on his large (act of parliament protected pension) now probably and certainly in three years time at 65. One law for you with your tepid hot water bottle and freezing bedroom and another for Starmer with my private jet and various, protected by a bespoke law, huge pensions.
Still all in it together as they like to lie.
September 16, 2024
I’d like to know what tax dodges he has lined up to avoid CGT and inheritance tax. I bet he won’t be paying anything on his millions.
September 16, 2024
Well said. I do agree, why do we allow MPās and Ministers to accept any gifts at all ?
September 16, 2024
Indeed that is the simple solution, so why does it continue.?
As for the heating for second homes allowance of Ā£4,000 suggested and Alleged claimed by our present Chancellor and others just before voting to stop the pensioners heating allowance, rather a smack in the face to voters and even handedness.
It always seems it is one rule for some, but not for the majority, and do as I say not as I do.
Time for a political party to perhaps rewrite the proposed rule book on expenses, payments, gifts and taxation before any election, because it will never happen whilst in power !
Are MPs that daft that they do not realise how this plays out with voters, or do they not care ?
September 16, 2024
Can you imagine what HMRC would say if a self employed person was gifted work clothes.
Benefit in kind at the very least !
September 16, 2024
Indeed it is. To suggest the doner doesn’t want favours and then gets a Number 10 pass to assist with the hand over of power. What role was that then? Suit/dress dresser? Total corruption and abuse of power by Two Tier.
Lammy totally convincing in his press rounds yesterday on this issue though. Said no one, anywhere in the Country, who bothered to listen to the idiot.
September 16, 2024
James, how on earth is Keith going to manage when he gets his pension. It must be very small because we the taxpayers aren’t allowed to know what it is.
When Thieves goes for our pension lump sum and lifetime limit reduction will the public sector be exempt.
Goid old Consocialism.
September 16, 2024
CS also have to report gifts and other entertainment provided free in a Record book.
Rather like the MP’s.
So much for honesty and transparency from Starmer.
September 16, 2024
Agree ā Any gift is open to corruption and abuse ā¦lets face it, un-worked gratuity is a back-hander
September 16, 2024
James Morley +1 2TierKier has shown himself to be different. Laws of bribery and corruption do not apply to him or his chums. Even the same chums that get No10 passes or his parliamentary protection for his personal pension.
September 16, 2024
Did Sue Gray scrutinize his beer and cake get together during lockdown? Did anyone?
September 16, 2024
+1
September 16, 2024
When I worked in the Civil Service, many years ago, we weren’t even allowed to accept a box of chocolates. It had to be returned to the sender. Why are politicians allowed to accept gifts?
September 16, 2024
Morning Sir John.
Same soft brown stuff, different government.
September 16, 2024
What I want to know is what is being asked for and/or promised in return for these gifts.
Excellent point Sir John regarding Labours constant vigilance of Conservative wrong doing and their holier than thou stance. Always an irritation to me that the Conservatives allowed them to bully in that way, when the list of charges relating to Labours less than squeaky clean behaviour was never fired back at them.
September 16, 2024
Because the Tory’s probably had more to hide in a *issing contest!!
September 16, 2024
I can recall a great deal of fuss when Cherie Blair was gifted a set of new Indian clothes by the Hindujas. It had nothing to do with the registration (with which Starmer is apparently trying to draw attention from the egregious nature of the gift itself) but the public’s sense of shock that a PM’s wife would accept such a gift.
Much came out about the Hindujas’ influence on UK politicians, as JR will doubtless recall, being one who staunchly raised the matter until an inquiry was held.
September 16, 2024
Your comments encapsulate my views entirely; the phrase āone rule for them and one rule for usā reveals the huge sense of entitlement Starmer embodies. I was appalled at Starmerās Ā£76kās worth of gifts declared in his own declaration of Members Financial interests. Travel, hospitality, tickets for football etc etc. I know my wife would refuse gifts of clothing from another man irrespective of the essential declaration!. Changing tack somewhat, Iām very concerned at Starmer and Lammyās rhetoric concerning the use of Storm Shadow missiles being deployed against Russia by Ukraine. This is a very dangerous tactic not just for UK but for all of Europe. Why has our PM and Foreign Secretary taken this position without public consultation or indeed full debate in Parliament? Why have they both suddenly joined the Neocons in Washington?
September 16, 2024
Quite so regarding attacking a country with which we are NOT AT WAR. Why do they want to be at war with the greatest nuclear power on earth?
September 17, 2024
Why would you hold hundreds of nuclear weapons? Once somebody sends them they will get rapid response .
A dozen or so getting through will create a waste land forever, and the retaliation accordingly.
Mutual destruction only entertained by the insane….oh! looking around, they just might.
September 16, 2024
Why, Michael? Because they believe their own propaganda. Putin spoke of red lines in 2021, then when he wasn’t heeded, Russia invaded. Since then, NATO-land media have created imaginary ‘red lines’ out of the perceived escalatory steps with which NATO is testing Russia. Now Putin has said outright that Storm Shadows used on pre-2014 Russia is a red line, but Starmer and Mr Blobby think it’s bluff. OK, I dare say we’ll find out pretty soon if they’re right. It might not be pretty, though.
September 17, 2024
Why has the PM taken this position – because the UK has been under the thumb of the USA since WWII?
Also, arguably, who needs nuclear weapons? 32 countries have ‘civilian nuclear power stations in operation. A conventional bomb exploding on one of those would release far more radioactivity than was emitted at Hiroshima or Nagasaki. Nuclear wasteland, anyone?
I suspect this awkward point is:
a) not known to the public
b) embarrassing to TPTB who do not want the matter raised.
September 16, 2024
I remember years ago in one of the largely internal debates among Royal Navy officers about pay why some branches should or should not be paid more than others. In the case of doctors the argument for paying more, vastly more in fact, was competition from alternative employers and an essential naval operational requirement for a minimum number. The argument against was that officers joining for money was antithetical to the entire ethos of the volunteer navy and those who joined for primarily for money would lack the required qualities of character.
A similar debate arose when large salaries were first awarded to MPs. Expense allowances on a grand scale added to the rewards of office. We now have a class of career politician. Is that really what we want? It was enormously damaging during the decades when EU membership offered vastly enlarged prospects for careers and huge financial rewards via even grander expense allowances, the rort of attendance allowances and pensions the munificence of which others could only dream. Some gladly gave away the sovereignty of the country in pursuit of their careers on the wider and grander stage, and these rich rewards – and freedom from accountability to pestilent constituents at home.
On the other hand many MPs work tirelessly and at considerable self sacrifice in pursuit of the interests of their constituents and of the country as a whole. How does the system distinguish among MPs and reward the better ones. How can it possibly make such distinctions?
Everyone is fallible but scandals such as these bring all MPs into disrepute and seem to be becoming routine, par for the course. And the truth is that aside from genuine clerical errors, the issue does come down to the character of MPs. Who is to set the standards and who is to judge them if MPs repeatedly fail to live up to expectations? It seems to me that the Parliamentary Standards Committee is not an independent body and liable to both party and political influence. Perhaps there should be a truly independent body on standards. IPSA is supposed to be independent, although there are doubts about that. And yet parliament is the highest court in the land. As always, the question is who watches the watchers?
Reply Tge public watch the MPs and can throw them out if they misbehave. So called independent bodies reflect the government who appointed them.
September 16, 2024
It is now long overdue that MPs perks were published. I mean all those items they have bequeathed themselves over time that Joe Citizen and the self employed would find it impossible to get past HMRC when they make their annual return.
I have heard rumour that MPs tax affairs are dealt with by a ring fenced departmen of HMRC in Cardiff. If so, what are they getting that nobody else is entitled to apart from response on the telephone.
When running my business I needed to look as smart in attire as any MP or PM. I cannot recall any provision for a claim against my gross income for any clothing I had to buy. Maybe if I had habitually had to wear overalls it might have been accepted, wheras silk ties were not. We in the real world have always suspected that some MPs stretch credibility to the limit while others know where to draw the line. Have MPs truely stopped claiming for duck huts since this became cynical joke of the month.
Reply These gifts are published. MPs have to pay under the same tax rules as others.
September 16, 2024
A question our host might enlighten us on. An MP serving one term of five years at Ā£85,000 per annum for example. What pension provision does that entitle him/her to on losing their seat.
Reply It is a contributory funded pension. Your subsequent entitlement is based on how many years you contributed and the salary you were being paid at the end of your service in the normal way for a final salary scheme.
September 16, 2024
reply to reply…nice to have a final salary pension. Millions would like that too!
September 16, 2024
I am not surprised. Power corrupts and this Labour government and it’s leader are no different. The corruption goes beyond the acceptance of previously undeclared gifts such as these. We have even seen hints of it in appointments made, such as nepotism in candidate selection ahead of the last GE. Jobs for the boys, and girls, seem to pop up all over the place. Someone (Guido Fawkes?) ought to set up a Register of Conflicting Interests to reveal just how widespread it is.
September 16, 2024
If Mrs Starmer feels clothes she needs are too expensive she could obtain better quality in charity shops. Womenās clothing is a leading income generator there. Many specialist clothing retailers donate new dresses to local charities when refreshing their own stocks. Charity shops often have sales of their own, with every dress in the shop available for just Ā£1 each.
September 16, 2024
NHS workers have long complained about not being well enough paid. Sympathy for Mrs, perhaps she changes into ‘scrubs’ once on duty?
September 16, 2024
Sympathy should not extend to claiming Income Support from a Labour Party donor and keeping things concealed. Maybe they thought a transparent dress would attract more Mickey Taking.
September 16, 2024
This is the rule for Civil Servants “If you are offered a gift, other than of the trivial kind, you should politely refuse with the explanation that civil servants cannot accept gifts.”
This should also be the rule for Prime Ministers, Ministers and MPs.
There is no such thing as a free lunch and wealthy men/women giving gifts to politicians have ulterior motives, so it is a corruption of power.
September 16, 2024
@Donna – most sane people would see that as being the minimum requirement for those in public office anything else should and must be seen as bribery. This however is 2 Tier Kier’s domain if you object you get locked up as an extreme right terrorist, if you have money for him and his chums you can state and get whatever favour you wish. One wonders why the Unions that donated to Labour received in return inflation busting pay rises. He who pays the piper?
September 16, 2024
Same in the private sector, if Iād accepted any personal gift from a client or a supplier or any related company Iād have been fired.
September 16, 2024
Grubby Starmer’s merely another Socialist freeloader. ’twas ever thus.
I see the cuddly woke left have just tried to murder one of their most powerful political opponents, again. Trump is a response to woke authoritarianism.
Thanks for the site. It keeps us all sane, just
September 16, 2024
I don’t understand why Lord Waheed Alli cares about how Mrs Starmer looks. Does he think he has a better dress sense than her? His gift of glasses to her husband is weird, too. Starmer looks prim and old-fashioned in those clunky large-frame spectacles. Not a charismatic image, yet Lord Alli worked in PR and TV.
September 16, 2024
Perhaps our PM is not aware of how low-priced NHS part-funded frames are now? Does he need to change them regularly? Carefully chosen frames allow replacement lens to be fitted in older frames. Just saying!
September 16, 2024
@ R.Grange – In August 2024, The Times reported that Alli had been given unrestricted access to 10 Downing Street, uncommon for anyone not formally employed in the Prime Minister’s office, and that he had held a reception for party donors in the Downing Street garden. More Party’s? Etc ed
September 16, 2024
I wonder if Mrs Ali knows/knew about the gifts to another woman!!!
September 16, 2024
Both are lawyers too with his wife working for the NHS as he likes to tell us almost as often as his my dad was a toolmaker claims. Perhaps they think they are above the law now you cannot have a car but I will get a private jet, limo or a helicopter. Starmer even has his own act of parliament to protect is hugely generous pension added to which he will have is PMs pension and MPs pension, state pension and his wife’s NHS pension I assume. So should not get too cold in his latter days.
September 16, 2024
I guess they accept and don’t declare these gifts out of a mixture of greed, arrogance, narcissism, entitlement and self importance. The whole world should be showering gifts upon them, offerings in acknowledgement of their god-like powers and benevolence to mankind!
Whereas for us vile mortals, gifts of this nature are clearly a way of greasing palms, and omit declaring them to HMRC at your peril!
September 16, 2024
The hypocrisy is strong in this one.
One of several missteps since July. We can expect more.
September 16, 2024
The most pitiful spin out from this embarrassment for the Labour Party has to be watching The Foreign Secretarry David Lammy on the Trevor Philips Sunday morning show . There he attempt in his own cack-handed clumsy style to justify the innocence of a wealthy PMs wife, being gifted thousands of Ā£pounds of designer clothes from an even richer Party donor, Lord Alli.
Foreign Secretary Lammy, even went as far as to suggest the state should have a formal responsibility to fund and dress the PMs wife in suitable attire for her role? He went as far as to draw a parallel with the American First Lady?
The Foreign Secretary clearly has no awareness of the role of the Queen. That should not surprise us, as he has no idea about Royal matters in general. He openly claimed when asked on Mastermind, Henry Vll followed Henry Vlll onto the English throne?
As they say, every village has one. Westminster must be thrilled to have one with such a high profile.
September 16, 2024
Of course there is in reality no parallel with the American first lady as they DONāT get public funding for clothes. Lammy just made that up.
September 16, 2024
This issue is being ignored by The Guardian so nothing will come of it.
September 16, 2024
“āCorruption is the abuse of entrusted power for private benefit that usually breaches laws, regulations, standards of integrity and/or standards of professional behaviour”
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/a-standard-for-the-counter-bribery-and-corruption-professional/a-standard-for-the-counter-bribery-and-corruption-professional-html
September 16, 2024
There’s one other aspect to this clothes-saga, no: two actually. One is that Mrs Starmer also got the services of a personal shopper, for free. In case gentlemen reader don’t know this: personal shoppers are not just another cost, the service they provide is also combined with a nie private room, tea or coffee or even champagne. The lady thus treated doesn’t have to go from clothes rail to clothesrail, minions bring those things to her.
Very working-class, innit!
The other thing is: which gentleman would permit another man to buy dresses for his wife? In past, more mannered times, such a gift always had other intime connotations …
It’s not the money nt being declared – it’s the spirit of the gift: so very working class – something the toiling masses surely can relate to!
September 16, 2024
What does gifts to Mrs Starmer, which have purpose only for her, have to do with the general public? He’s the office holder, not her.
Sure Mrs Starmer can afford her own clothes, just like my wife. If a rich man offered to buy my wife clothes, we’d both be somewhat embarrassed, and I for one would be not a little annoyed.
September 16, 2024
And why does it not get much attention or criticism in the main broadcast media, BBC, Sky News and ITV?
Answer, because they are on his and his party’s side and it is likely they will stay that way whatever he does or doesn’t do.
September 16, 2024
The hypocrisy of it stinks. Itās much worse than the low level corruption. Imagine if this had been Boris Johnson! There should be a Parliamentary enquiry and the same treatment meted out to Starmer as would have happened to Conservative ministers in the last parliament. A 10 day suspension from the HoC perhaps?
September 16, 2024
Totally agree Richard.
Why do millionaires require funding to afford clothing?
September 16, 2024
I couldn’t agree more.
What sort of MP or PM,or anyone for that matter,wants a wealthy business man paying for his wife’s clothes,let alone his own;
In this instance both the PM and his wife are earning jointly a minimum of Ā£225,000 a year and don’t need help to buy their clothes;
This needs to be investigated further as no one would willingly offer and pay for this sort of benefit if they weren’t getting something in return.
September 16, 2024
Those clothes cost a minimum No 10 pass. We don’t know yet what else Ali wants or expects!!!
September 16, 2024
Normal people donāt let another man secretly buy their wifeās clothes. Isnāt it not just weird but rather creepy? Whatās going on?
September 16, 2024
Did the donation have a veto on her selection? Perhaps he sat beyond the changing room passing an opinion on whether things suited her or not? He who pays the piper?
September 16, 2024
Dear Mr. Redwood,
I was astonished and reduced to tears to see that the Prime Minister had had to resort to sending his foreign secretary out on to the Sunday morning airwaves to plead poverty on his behalf.
Mr. Lammy said ‘Starmer took donorās gifts because there is no taxpayer funding for clothesā.
I knew that austerity had bitten quite deep but I had no idea that Mr. Starmer had been left so destitute that he had to rely on the generosity of others to buy clothes for himself and his wife.
What a terribly embarrassing situation it must have been for him!
September 16, 2024
Like many men, I have a few suits which I struggle to get into, mainly due to being forced to eat more cheaply in these difficult times of eat or heat. If Sir Starmer would like I could send a couple to No.10?
September 16, 2024
Hopefully he will be ridiculed at PMQs.
September 16, 2024
Apparently Starmer is worth Ā£7.5 million. He can well afford to buy good clothes for himself and his family, if he chooses.
Incidentally has the Starmer Preferential Pension Act been repealed yet? I haven’t heard if it has.
September 16, 2024
Not on the cards until full repution has been heaped on the pensioner that he thinks vote for
September 16, 2024
Have you informed Ms Reeves? The new stasi-like informers might be well rewarded, and possibly get a cut of the Ā£7.5m taxed.? When does he become a millionaire pensioner?
September 16, 2024
The political class does not like it, but this proves ‘they are all the same’ on the make for themselves and are first class humbugs and hypocrites.
September 16, 2024
Isn’t this a normal attitude of socialists that they expect to be treated well by others. Socialism encourages the idea that it is ok to take and take. It ferments the mind with ideological thoughts that great socialists live off the backs of others — like so many that will not work and live off the state. Living like that encourages criminal thoughts, perpetuating bad behaviour. It’s in the blood even.
It’s right that the PM should be attacked for the slightest degree of criminality – he should be totally above such actions as not declaring a gift, but again it is in his nature, it’s what he is. Socialism brings out the worst in people.
September 16, 2024
Typical Socialists. You only have to recall the old communist states in Europe whereby the leaders lived in luxury while the general population suffered.
September 16, 2024
Exactly, a PM is just that, which means the leader of those we empower and pay, those we lend our power too. A PM is not a head of state or a ruler, a PM as with all MPs are servants of the people. That’s the UK political class failing their ego has the better of them.
Of course parliament has allowed 2TK rights on his pension that make him immune from his own tax grabs so is there any suprise. One rule for him another for his minions
September 16, 2024
I agree with James Morley, why do we accept any Ministers or MPs or Civil Servants (direct or indirect) to accept any gifts at all?
However, I expect the release of this news was a classic example of the dead cat strategy. We can expect more of these.
BTW, when Ed Miliband said that our energy bills would be reduced by Ā£300/year, did he mean that we would be spending Ā£300/year less on electricity because of electricity rationing caused by his intention to give us rolling blackouts? It cannot be because of his intention to transition to renewables because these are the most expensive form of energy known to man (Ā£195/MWhr for the floating offshore wind that is the PMā favourite), let alone the additional costs for national and local grid upgrades, grid stability and grid-scale electricity storage if we are to have a reliable supply.
September 16, 2024
It is staggering that the PM and his wife have accepted the clothes and glasses Lord Ali paid for! When a person earns a six-figure plus salary, even before he became PM, why do they need other people to pay for their clothes and glasses?
Remember the media frenzy about Boris Johnson’s wallpaper? It’s worth pondering how much and for how long the media will make this an issue for Mr & Mrs Starmer by comparison.
It is a shocking reflection on our PM’s integrity or, rather, the lack of it.
September 16, 2024
Does Lord Ali run a department store or a clothing store? If he does, I can understand why that person would gift clothes. David Cameron’s wife wearing a beautiful item often caused that item to sell out, so it is in a clothes designer’s interest to have a much photographed woman in their designs for free.
However, small businesses are told they have to comply with the Bribery Act 2010.. it is a criminal offence for employees in an official capacity to accept any gift or consideration as an inducement ..The aim of the Gifts and Hospitality policy is to guard against the risk of allegations of impropriety by Single Source Regulations Office members or staff. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ssro-gifts-and-hospitality-policy/gifts-and-hospitality-policy
The general principles for the acceptance of gifts are:
The gift must be of a nominal or notional value. Typically, a gift should not be accepted if the cumulative value from any one organisation or individual exceeds Ā£200 in any 12 month period or Ā£50 for any one gift.
The gift must be given for an appropriate reason.
The gift must be given at an appropriate time (e.g. not in advance of the issuing of an opinion or determination, or in advance of the award of a contract).
The gift must be of a āone-offā or irregular nature (i.e. that could not be viewed as a regular source of income by HMRC for personal taxation purposes).
The details of all gifts accepted or declined should be fully recorded in the Gifts and Hospitality Register (see Appendix), which will be published on the SSROās website.
What was Lord Ali’s reason for giving this gift? They are not tax deductible. If he isn’t the designer or brand then it can’t be considered advertising expenses. It wasn’t a trivial benefit that has to be under Ā£50.
September 17, 2024
An expensive pass round No 10?
September 17, 2024
I like those memes doing the rounds at the moment of Labour politicians and what they said about Tories receiving gifts and their excuses for receiving similar ‘gifts’ now.
The pile on Boris about that wallpaper for a home he didn’t own was amazing to watch; they went in for the jugular; he actually saved taxpayers money having that gift, whereas the Starmer family gifts are personally derived benefits.
September 16, 2024
LOL, socialism is back, alright. Their well-known mantra, “Do as we say and never as we do”, is back on their agenda. But can they survive the next four years and ten months? I hope not.
September 16, 2024
Derek :
Be aware that whilst it is possible for a country to vote its way into a Communist government it cannot vote its way out of one.
September 16, 2024
“Lammy: āStarmer took donorās gifts because there is no taxpayer funding for clothesā “. – that is a falsehood a lie from Lammy. Both his wife are paid extremely well directly by the Taxpayer, the are employees of the State.
All monies, gifts, donations to those in power can and should be seen as bribes in pursuit of favours, special considerations by those making the bribe – if only there was an opposition to the corrupt UniParty. This Parliament, democracy are being forced into a position of disrepute once more by a handful
September 16, 2024
It’s an opportunity Sir J, extrapolate –> Clothesgate, combined with the ‘well received’ Winter Fuel Allowance (perhaps the PM’s Polltax 2.0?) and maybe he’ll be gone by Xmas… #ReadItHereFirst!
September 16, 2024
While Samantha Cameron had her own fashion business, Carrie Johnson rented dresses cheaply when the occasion demanded.
September 16, 2024
I believe Starmer is near the top of the list for MPs declared personal gifts received during the last parliament to the tune of Ā£76,000 in total – this included clothes, glasses, football tickets etc. Only this weekend he attended the St Ledger race at Doncaster and the Spurs v Arsenal match both on freebies. Today despite the scandal his wife attended London Fashion Week in a designer outfit. They just donāt care. It is very odd, I canāt imagine many Labour MPs approve or are happy defending it.
September 17, 2024
Not odd at all, they did because they could. Pure greed. Power corrupts.
Did Corbyn take advantage of clothes, glasses , the horse races etc?
September 16, 2024
I presume Ms. Gray will be investigating this and advising Parliament to suspend the Prime Minister.
September 16, 2024
No personal gift is ever made to a politician by a businessman or politician without a quid pro quo, and the quid pro quo is never registered.
Gifts from UK passport holders who are dual nationals should be barred unconditionally.
But how do we police gifts from unions or personal party sponsors? The favours/quid pro quos have been swiftly rewarded in the former case, and the taxpayers and pensioners have paid for it.
September 16, 2024
Champagne Socialists & birds of a feather.
Is this the modus operandi of the left as they think it’s unfair to expect everyone to be treated equally. Entitlement reigns supreme with Labour who view others with contempt.
Did Lammy and others pay for their own clothes? What other benefits do we need to be aware of? Lots of questions begging.
September 16, 2024
“The Register” of Financial (weakness) interest ” perhaps needs reform and renaming.
September 16, 2024
“The Register” of Financial (weakness) Interest ” perhaps needs reform and renaming.
September 17, 2024
I would just say that when I worked for the Civil Service many years ago we had a lecture on not accepting gifts and were told that we should not even ask a junior officer for an envelope as this could be used against us. Sounds silly I know but this is how they got the message through in those days. I still agree that there should be no gifts accepted and it should all be turned over to the state. In this case, I just cannot understand why these two should think it acceptable to accept gifts from this man as it smells a bit rancid to me. Would you accept money for your clothes and not think there was a catch somewhere? Being who this man was before going into politics I would have thought he would have known better. Further makes them unacceptable to me as leaders of this country and it shows that the pair of them are grabbers, like the Blairs. I see that the Reeves woman has been given Dorneywood as her country home. Well she won’t have to ask Parker, Mayor in Birmingham, for the free loan of his seaside home for her holiday this year then?
Reply Indeed. I did not accept gifts as an MP.
September 17, 2024
You talk about what seems like peevishness when you refused payment.This sort of attitude is rife in the NHS.They love to put people down or catch them out so we have numskies monitoring things that they haven’t a clue about.Computer jobs!
September 20, 2024
“Why did a MP earning a good six figure salary with an intelligent and capable wife need a rich man to buy clothes for them both? ”
Isn’t it interesting that, at a time when we are being prepared for tax increases, our illustrious Prime Minister has found innovative ways to insulate himself from the results of Tory, and now Labour economic policy ?
Surely, baksheesh amounting to half his official salary is a bit gratuitous, even by British politician’s low standards.
I did wonder to myself, have politicians always been this corrupt? I think the answer is, Yes. It’s just that in 1924 the government represented only 10% of the economy, so their graft and thievery, really wasn’t that significant. But in 2024 when the government represents 50% of the economy, it an issue that needs attention.