Starmer says he will not accept any more donations for clothes

LONDON: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will not accept any more donations to pay for his clothing, a Downing Street source said on Friday, following widespread media criticism over thousands of pounds of gifts he has received.

Starmer, who came to power in July, has come under fire this month after it was reported he had accepted donations from a wealthy Labour donor to pay for his work clothing and spectacles, as well as high-end clothes and shopping services for his wife.

Earlier this week Sky News said he had declared more than 100,000 pounds in gifts, benefits and hospitality since December 2019, more than any other member of parliament. Starmer, who became Labour Party leader in April 2020 and won power at an election in July, has come under fire in the British media since it emerged he accepted thousands of pounds worth of clothes from a wealthy businessman.

He has said he followed all the necessary transparency rules on declaring gifts, but the figures are politically damaging at a time when his government is cutting financial help with paying energy bills for millions of pensioners.

Sky reported Starmer had accepted 107,145 pounds in gifts, benefits and hospitality, one of the categories in parliament’s register of interests, since the 2019 national election.