BBC Question Time: Keir Starmer savaged at no cost items ‘hypocrisy’ | Politics | News | EUROtoday

Sir Keir Starmer was ripped aside on BBC Question Time by a Conservative MP and former minister for his “hypocrisy” in accepting lavish freebies.

Graham Stuart mentioned the Labour chief was “more pious than the Pope” when in opposition, citing how Sir Keir repeatedly mocked Boris Johnson over donations of wallpaper for redecorating Downing Street.

But the MP for Beverley and Holderness advised the Prime Minister behaved no higher when accepting free items of clothes and a number of pairs of glasses value hundreds of kilos from Lord Waheed Alli, a outstanding Labour donor.

Sir Keir has denied being the “king of the freebies” after receiving greater than £100,000 value of items and donations – greater than some other MP and twice the quantity of Lucy Powell, the Leader of the House of Commons, who was in second place.

The PM, a eager Arsenal fan, accepted greater than £35,000 of free soccer tickets during the last parliament, alongside different affords of hospitality.

Sir Keir is now going through a requirements investigation after failing to declare greater than £5,000 of high-end objects for his spouse, Lady Victoria Starmer.

Mr Stuart mentioned: “Forget the tickets, forget the frocks, forget the spectacles, the suits, and the access for Lord Alli, what really gets in people’s craw … is the hypocrisy.

“Millions of people voted Labour because they did buy that we needed a cleaner politics. They wanted greater propriety. They wanted transparency.

“Instead they have a man who was more pious than the Pope when he was in opposition, and now we’ve gone from pious Keir to graspy Keir.”

Question Time host Fiona Bruce identified that Mr Johnson declared donations nicely over Sir Keir’s stage.

Mr Stuart responded by saying: “The public were promised that things would be better.

“Starmer actually said that we need to ensure that people cannot use their office in order to get benefits and open the door to vested interests.”

On the identical present, Sir Keir was ridiculed by fellow panellist and columnist Jill Kirby, who claimed Lord Alli “was clearly buying influence” along with his donations.

She added: “Keir Starmer does not need to have his clothes bought for him – he should have gone to Specsavers like everyone else.”

Labour grandee and former deputy chief Harriet Harman urged Sir Keir to “deal with the criticism” and admit that such donations weren’t acceptable.

She mentioned “doubling down” and attempting to “justify” the freebies was angering and alienating voters.