Sir Keir Starmer has defended accepting a £20,000 accommodation freeby by claiming his son needed “peace” to study ahead of his GCSEs.
The Prime Minister, who is coming under fire after topping the list of MPs accepting gifts since 2019, later refused to apologise for the row and instead insisted he had done nothing wrong.
Starmer has been accused of hypocrisy after being highly critical of ex-Prime Minister Boris Johnson over his decision to accept donations for wallpaper in Downing Street.
Addressing yet more questions about freebies, the Prime Minister confirmed around £20,000 received from Lord Alli was for unspecified accommodation to ensure his teenage son had a “peaceful” place to study ahead of his exams.
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Starmer blames teenage son for £20,000 accommodation freebyPA“My boy, 16, was in the middle of his GCSEs. I made him a promise, a promise that he would be able to get to his school, do his exams, without being disturbed,” he told the BBC.
“We have lots of journalists outside our house where we live and I’m not complaining about that, that’s fine.
“But if you’re a 16-year-old trying to do your GCSEs and it’s your one chance in life – I promised him we would move somewhere, get out of the house and go somewhere where he could be peacefully studying.
“Somebody then offered me accommodation where we could do that. I took that up and it was the right thing to do.”
Lord Waheed Alli has been at the centre of the Labour donorgate scandalGettyAsked separately on LBC if he would apologise, the Prime Minister added: “I’m not going to apologise for not doing anything wrong.”
The Houses of Parliament’s register of interest for Starmer reveals the accommodation from Lord Alli was valued at £20,437.28.
Starmer also accepted the donation from between May 29 and July 13.
However, GCSEs were taking place between May 9 and June 19.
Starmer with wife Victoria in Liverpool
PA
Despite ruling out accepting further freebies for clothing, Starmer left the door open on receiving gifts for access to events.
Asked whether he would rule out accepting such gifts in the future, he told ITV: “I think that’s a matter of judgment. There has to be good reason.”
Starmer later opened up on his new life in No10 and detailed the toll it has taken on his family.
“It has been tough for the kids. I’m not pleading a special case but they’re 16 and 13,” he said. “That’s a very important time.”