Am I alone in finding this so tawdry?

I worked for a computer company in the 90's and we got lots of freebies - you took them straight to the MD's office and a draw was made at Christmas for everybody in the company. Such a fair way to deal with it

I always think there must be a country somewhere that has solved rather simple problems like, clothes for politicians

Yes, it’s called their salary. .

Hear, hear.
I had had hopes of Starmer as a man of principle after all the shenanigans at No 10 under the Tories.
There are other freebies that need to bite the dust too - while Leader of the Opposition he argued that reasons of security necessitated the (freeby) Arsenal hospitality box. Sunak, PM at the time was photographed in the stands along with the hoi polloi . Come on, what does this say to the decent working people who form (or used to) the spine of the Labour movement?
Did it all go south with Tony Blair?

I think that the tide has turned on what was once normal acceptable practice for MP's gift wise and come to a head because of this issue.

I think that no gifts should be allowed to individual MP's (and that includes £50.000 gifted to Jenrick in July 2024 with no "what its for" label - which has passed by untouched by the media!)

and that it needs to be brought under the control of IPSA, the independent body who makes the rules on expenses generally for MP's.

The amount of both tax payers and private gifts Sunak accepted for private jets and helicopters ran into the hundreds of thousands!

Well insisting on declaring and revealing it is how he knows about it so we can’t say it wasn’t a distraction.
Someone -? Sue Grey the queen of ethics - should have stopped him falling into this avoidable trap. I’m prepared to believe he fell into it through inattention in early days with so much else going on.

Mollygo

Doing this, after all the (justified) criticisms about the Conservatives doing the same sort of thing . . .
Did he think it would be more acceptable for him or the LP to do it?

That is the real issue.

Criticising others then doing exactly the same oneself is bound to attract adverse publicity.

GrannySomerset

Though playing devil’s advocate, the willingness of some journalists to attack the appearance and dress sense of female politicians is part of the problem. Perhaps a taxable allowance for the top brass, to be spent on British made clothes, might be a solution? Bet Mme Macron doesn’t have this problem.

Why the hell can’t they buy their own clothes, they absolutely earn enough to do so

Hypocrisy comes to mind

I met our new Labour mp at a Macmillan event yesterday and told him how disappointed I am. I know the generally Tory press are having a field day, but clothes fir our PM and his wife, glasses fir him paid fir by a rich friend costing thousands £ ( my glasses are from £land) does not sit well with anyone, especially Labour supporters. He said something about avoiding own goals… he is right about that.

I fear this is just the tip of the iceberg!

I'm beginning to think he's not very bright .

Doing this, after all the (justified) criticisms about the Conservatives doing the same sort of thing . . .
Did he think it would be more acceptable for him or the LP to do it?

I hope the unsavoury Lord Alli is investigated more closely; he has been responsible for a huge amount of money going to prominent people in the new labour Government. Despite a Guardian article sycophantically announcing how altruistic he is, his enormous donations and what he is receiving in return, ie the No.10 Pass, need very close scrutiny. Politicians may come and go but he is firmly entrenched in the House of Lords and clearly intends to be an influence.

When so many people are struggling with just trying to do the basics like keeping a roof over their heads, paying the bills, feeding and clothing themselves our esteemed PM has been forced into agreeing not to accept further donations to buy clothes for himself and his wife.
He also has a freebie box at the Emirates. He said by accepting that he was saving the taxpayer money. How come? As this was something else he wasn't putting his hand in his pocket for, was he planning to pay for it by other dubious means.
The man's a complete joke.

Holidays? Lord Ali’s flat ?

Free hospitality box at Arsenal?

GrannySomerset

Though playing devil’s advocate, the willingness of some journalists to attack the appearance and dress sense of female politicians is part of the problem. Perhaps a taxable allowance for the top brass, to be spent on British made clothes, might be a solution? Bet Mme Macron doesn’t have this problem.

I always think there must be a country somewhere that has solved rather simple problems like, clothes for politicians.

Or what to do about donations.

Or funding of political parties in general.

Surely, in the year 2024, these are not impossible problems to solve.

GrannySomerset

Though playing devil’s advocate, the willingness of some journalists to attack the appearance and dress sense of female politicians is part of the problem. Perhaps a taxable allowance for the top brass, to be spent on British made clothes, might be a solution? Bet Mme Macron doesn’t have this problem.

Are you suggesting that working people struggling to make ends meet should have their taxes used to give a clothing allowance to people earning more than £100,000 p.a.!! Even if they did have an allowance it would not improve their dress sense!

I'm so disappointed with the Labour leadership over this.
I really did expect better.

Though playing devil’s advocate, the willingness of some journalists to attack the appearance and dress sense of female politicians is part of the problem. Perhaps a taxable allowance for the top brass, to be spent on British made clothes, might be a solution? Bet Mme Macron doesn’t have this problem.

Grantanow

A bad mistake and badly handled but it's a distraction from the real issues facing the UK.

Rich people being greedy and allowing themselves to be influenced by unelected others (the donors – no political "freebie" comes without reciprocal expectations) is not a distraction. It is definitely worthy of attention as several Labout MPs have shown by speaking out about it.

It doesn’t surprise me. Don’t do as I do, but do as I say. Best friends with Corbin, leopards don't change their spots, the worst is yet to come.

A distraction of their own making Grantanow.

No, you are not alone LovesBach .

If the clothes cost so much that you can’t afford them on your MP+cabinet minister salary, funded by the treasury, who are funded by our taxation and NI among other things, then buy something less expensive.
His rule for WFA should hold good for MPs gifts too.
If we think your financial needs don’t warrant it, then you don't get it.