The decision, announced yesterday, came after days of criticism over the Labour peer Waheed Alli funding Starmer's work wardrobe, as well as clothes for his wife, Victoria, that were not initially declared. The Guardian revealed yesterday that Reeves and Rayner had also received donations for work outfits.
Lord Alli, who is Labour's main fundraiser and a businessman, had given Starmer glasses worth £2,435 and work clothing worth £16,200, as well as a stay in a £18m penthouse luxury apartment. Starmer may have broken parliamentary rules in failing to declare clothes bought for his wife by Alli within 28 days of receipt.
Rayner, the deputy prime minister, was also given a donation for work clothing from Alli in June. This was declared as a donation in kind from the peer worth £3,550, without explaining it was for outfits.
The deputy prime minister is understood to have contacted the registrar of interests to give a fuller description of the donation.
Reeves accepted a donation of £7,500 from a donor, Juliet Rosenfeld, from the beginning of last year, which was used to pay for clothing.
Reeves declared it as a cash donation rather than as a gift and has been assured this was within the rules.
The prime minister, Rayner and Reeves are all understood to have decided they will not take donations to pay for clothes in future.
The row over donations has dogged Starmer, who had pledged to run a government of high standards. And while he has insisted he has broken no rules, the saga has been threatening to derail the start of the conference in Liverpool tomorrow.
This story is from the September 21, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the September 21, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Beaumont may step in at RFU if Ilube quits over pay fiasco
Sir Bill Beaumont could be parachuted into the Rugby Football Union as interim chair in the event Tom Ilube falls on his sword amid the botched handling of the executive pay scandal engulfing the game.
'An exciting new era' Everton owners promise return to glory days after £500m deal
The Friedkin Group vowed to restore Everton to their \"rightful place in the Premier League table\" after completing a takeover that brought the turbulent era of Farhad Moshiri to an end.
Friedkin Group brings hope of much-needed stability and ambition
The Friedkin Group's takeover of Everton represents a momentous day for those exhausted and resigned to calamity by the tenure of Farhad Moshiri.
A humble Hamilton hero who was born to score
Ex-coaches in New Zealand on Chris Wood's rise from selfless schoolboy to poster boy at Nottingham Forest
Solanke puts Spurs through despite Forster's blunders
Like a song that changes time signature for the hell of it, like a friend that inexplicably blanks you, like a match report that noodles away for ages instead of just telling you what happened, Tottenham Hotspur remain medically incapable of doing things the simple way.
“The World Cup loss fuelled a fire in me to become the best’
Ellie Kildunne's infectious enthusiasm for the women's game has her dreaming of a Twickenham final in 2025
'Usyk is fighting for his country': Dubois tips Fury to lose rematch
Daniel Dubois, the IBF world heavyweight champion, believes that Oleksandr Usyk will again defeat Tyson Fury in Riyadh tomorrow night.
Coe pledges radical reform in bid for IOC presidency
Sebastian Coe has promised to radically transform the International Olympic Committee if he is elected its next president in March - and says his track record of delivering at the London 2012 Games and at World Athletics shows he is the right choice for the leading job in sport.
Football's new fetish Forget Nicolas Jover and stylish set-piece coaches, bring on the directors of vibes
It's 25 October 2012. Those of you who follow the Austrian regional leagues won't need reminding.
Rush to start work caused enormous cost overruns, says new boss of HS2
Enormous budget overruns on the HS2 high-speed railway have been blamed by its new chief executive on a \"rush to start\", as the Department for Transport admitted it did not know what the line would cost.
