Am I alone in finding this so tawdry?

Delila

GrannyRose15

To be quite honest I don’t care who pays for the PMs clothes as long as it isn’t me. Don’t like the idea of the donor getting privileges in exchange either. I also think the media are being very unkind to Victoria. Do we really want our country represented by a woman in a frumpy M&S frock? She could be a wonderful ambassador for the British fashion industry. As long as it is within the rules I can’t see what’s wrong with her accepting gifts of clothes.

I heard on the Today programme this morning that Mrs. Starmer doesn’t want to be involved in her husband’s political life. I don’t know to what extent that’s true, but if she prefers to stay in the background surely an M&S dress, not necessarily a frumpy one, is perfectly acceptable.

Anyway, I imagine both Mr & Mrs Starmer can well afford the clothes they need for any occasion.

She wants to stay in the background so she can continue working for the NHS perhaps? How long will it be before people accuse Keir of giving NHS pay rises so that his wife can earn more? I don’t think I can ever remember a new PM being so vilified Still, not to worry. The country will probably have a Reform government led by that paragon of virtue Nigel Farage in five years time. I, too, like seeing the Starmers representing us on the world stage looking well dressed ( feel the same about Kate and William). I was so embarrassed when Johnson was PM.

I don’t think politicians or royals should accept any freebies. They can all afford to buy things for themselves..

It is tawdry.

The donors will always want something in return.🙄

vegansrock
I hope those criticising the Starmers are also Incensed by the Johnsons freebie luxury holidays, gold wallpaper, private jet etc. KS does pay for his own season ticket, but was advised by security to go behind the glass in the directors box. The Mail won’t have mentioned that.

I’m astonished that you think anyone supported the freebies accepted by the previous government.

If you read carefully the biggest objection, after the wrongness of accepting any gift that gives you a back entry into the government, is that people were incensed by that happening under the previous government(s).
However, having joined in or just listened to Starmer ‘s and indeed GNs constant attacks, people expected something different from a PM who says a thing is wrong when the other government does it, but think it’s okay for his government to do it.

eazybee I think you misunderstood me, apologies if I wasn't clear enough for you. My reply was to vegansrock who had hoped that those criticising the Starmers were also incensed by Johnson's freebies. I was countering that those who aren't critical of Starmer shouldn't have been critical of Johnson either. Consistency is all. No need for your shouty 'how many more times' which was rather rude.

So was Starmer accepting freebies while he was Leader of the Opposition, and while he was condemning Boris for the wallpaper?

Whatever ...... he is accepting them now, and the hypocrisy is unbelievable !! He has been sanctimonious in the extreme and now this !!

As someone else has said, if the Election was next week, the result would likely be very different.

GrannyRose15

To be quite honest I don’t care who pays for the PMs clothes as long as it isn’t me. Don’t like the idea of the donor getting privileges in exchange either. I also think the media are being very unkind to Victoria. Do we really want our country represented by a woman in a frumpy M&S frock? She could be a wonderful ambassador for the British fashion industry. As long as it is within the rules I can’t see what’s wrong with her accepting gifts of clothes.

I heard on the Today programme this morning that Mrs. Starmer doesn’t want to be involved in her husband’s political life. I don’t know to what extent that’s true, but if she prefers to stay in the background surely an M&S dress, not necessarily a frumpy one, is perfectly acceptable.

Anyway, I imagine both Mr & Mrs Starmer can well afford the clothes they need for any occasion.

I assume you hope that those saying these freebies are "accepted practice" for Starmer and co also thought them perfectly acceptable for Johnson too.
Oh Dear.

HOW MANY MORE TIMES?

We did not condone them, but we heard Labour and Starmer condemn them so many times we are genuinely ASTONISHED by Starmer's crass behaviour and his belief that no-one would notice. Not to mention his cronies aping him.

To be quite honest I don’t care who pays for the PMs clothes as long as it isn’t me. Don’t like the idea of the donor getting privileges in exchange either. I also think the media are being very unkind to Victoria. Do we really want our country represented by a woman in a frumpy M&S frock? She could be a wonderful ambassador for the British fashion industry. As long as it is within the rules I can’t see what’s wrong with her accepting gifts of clothes.

Jane43

I have supported Labour for all of my adult life but I do find the acceptance of clothing and other gifts by Keir Starmer and other senior cabinet members extremely disappointing and distasteful. In my view donations should only go to the party for activities such as campaigning. I have just listened to Lucy Powell on Question Time saying it is acceptable and I strongly disagree with her.

👏👏👏

LovesBach

I expected a lot of this man and his government - I now feel disappointed, to put it mildly.

I too feel this way and am hoping, optimistically, for some sort of improvement

vegansrock

I hope those criticising the Starmers are also Incensed by the Johnsons freebie luxury holidays, gold wallpaper, private jet etc. KS does pay for his own season ticket, but was advised by security to go behind the glass in the directors box. The Mail won’t have mentioned that

I think most of us were. I assume you hope that those saying these freebies are "accepted practice" for Starmer and co also thought them perfectly acceptable for Johnson too.

Dickens has posted some interesting details about Swedish MPs and officials on another thread.

www.gransnet.com/forums/news_and_politics/1340401-Sick-of-Starmer-relentlessly-using-the-wordsdifficult-painful?msgid=30798862

Starmer and his freebies was the discussion at our food bank collection this morning. All of us with different political views, ages and gender but unanimous in our opinion of him. Went on about Boris's wallpaper (which he is currently enjoying) but accepts free glasses, clothes and freebies for himself and his wife. As double standards as the rest of them. We said he should come and help at food bank and see those who deserve a few treats.

If the election was held again tomorrow I feel the results would be very different.

Rachel Reeves has admitted she accepted money for clothes, as the backlash over gifts from donors threatened to overshadow the Labour Party conference this weekend.

The Chancellor has received almost £7,500 for clothing since 2023 from a friend called Juliet Rosenfeld, the widow of a Labour donor caught up in the 2006 cash for honours scandal.

TerriBull

Yes the white stuff ruined my life in junior school, the unpalatable trio of milk, rice pudding and mashed potato, the latter two with lumps the size of planets. Yuk!

It wasn't easy being milk monitor infants' school and being blamed for warm or frozen milk and, even worse, bent straws!

I hope those criticising the Starmers are also Incensed by the Johnsons freebie luxury holidays, gold wallpaper, private jet etc. KS does pay for his own season ticket, but was advised by security to go behind the glass in the directors box. The Mail won’t have mentioned that

Carrie Johnson did the green and sensible thing and rented dresses for political occasions. Why can't Victoria Starmer do the same if they can't afford her clothes?

🤣

Yes the white stuff ruined my life in junior school, the unpalatable trio of milk, rice pudding and mashed potato, the latter two with lumps the size of planets. Yuk!

Especially as say, the Macrons represent France.
We have a royal family!

I don’t understand why anyone should get free clothes simply to go to work, unless it’s a uniform. The rest of the population has to buy their own work clothes and some people can’t even afford to kit out their children in school uniform.

To me as a woman, the whole idea of having clothes bought for me by another man turns my stomach. It’s creepy. Whatever were the Starmers thinking??

I am so disappointed that it seems we are still an Us and Them society, according to our leaders.

FriedGreenTomatoes2

Good point eazybee. Back to Basics ought to be their mantra.
Perhaps KS could wear a hair shirt?
In some ways (bizarre I know) I feel a bit sorry for him really.
It’s all going so wrong, all at once.

He's not stupid, he should have known better.

TerriBull

I'd have been delighted if the milk had been snatched during my school days, I hated it!

Warm in summer, frozen up out of the bottles in winter!
No fridges in those days.

Good point eazybee. Back to Basics ought to be their mantra.
Perhaps KS could wear a hair shirt?
In some ways (bizarre I know) I feel a bit sorry for him really.
It’s all going so wrong, all at once.

Me too Terribull! It usually sat in a crate not far from the radiators in my junior school classroom. I used to almost gag sucking it up through a straw. And if there were a couple of class absences the teacher would hold up a couple of bottles (gills? … ha! size, not an absent girl!) and call out “who would like another bottle of milk?”.

Hands would shoot up “me, Sir!”.
Gah.
I used to sit there thinking “how COULD you?” 😁