Am I alone in finding this so tawdry?

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

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

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.

👏👏👏

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.🙄

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 agree with you MayBee. The media is determined to vilify Keir Starmer and, by association, his wife, no matter what they do. This is already becoming a witch hunt, 11 weeks into his premiership.

But, as you say, in 5 years people will probably vote for Reform or some extreme, far right version of the Tory party. We’ll see how that pans out for the future of our country!

She cannot avoid being involved in his political life. She may want to limit the time she gives but it would be a very unusual premiership if she didn’t sometimes accompany he husband when he was on official business.

LizzieDrip

I agree with you MayBee. The media is determined to vilify Keir Starmer and, by association, his wife, no matter what they do. This is already becoming a witch hunt, 11 weeks into his premiership.

But, as you say, in 5 years people will probably vote for Reform or some extreme, far right version of the Tory party. We’ll see how that pans out for the future of our country!

We’ve yet to see how this government pans out for the country. It’s certainly made a poor start but there is still four years and nine months for a miracle to happen.

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.

And another excuse . . .
She could be a wonderful ambassador for the British fashion industry, without receiving freebies. Unless her millionaire husband is too mean to buy them for her, and that accusation hasn’t arisen yet.

If she prefers to stay in the background, and I can understand that, she didn’t need the freebies anyway. I wonder how her staying in the background will look.
Non-appearance at football matches or concerts?

One thing is certain, the eyes of the media will be on the freebie fashions worn by the PM and his entourage, just as they were about AR’s outfit.
Maybe it’s all been a cunning plan to distract from any further attacks on pensioners that he has up his sleeve.

GrannyRose it’s your opinion that this government has ‘made a poor start’. I don’t believe that’s the case. And yes, let’s see what the next 4+ years brings - of course, we could all be given the moon on a stick and it still wouldn’t be good enough for the media and their followers🤷‍♀️

LizzieDrip it’s not just Granny Rose who has this opinion - take a look at the polls. It’s the worst start of any new government it would seem.

Just because ‘lots’ of people have a particular opinion doesn’t make it ‘true’. Also, it doesn’t make me follow their options - I have my own mind.

Opinions not options!

Dianne Abbott now putting the boot in.

“Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour Party is “in the pocket of millionaires”, Diane Abbott has said on the eve of the party’s annual conference in Liverpool.

Ms Abbott, the veteran Left-winger, criticised the Prime Minister after a row over him accepting thousands of pounds for clothes from Lord Alli, a Labour peer and his biggest personal donor.

On Friday, Sir Keir promised that he would stop taking donations for clothes now that he was in office.

Angela Rayner, his deputy, and Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, made the same pledge. Ms Reeves admitted this week she had received almost £7,500 for clothing since 2023 from a friend called Juliet Rosenfield, the widow of a Labour donor.

Criticising comments made by Ellie Reeves, the Chancellor’s sister and the Labour chairwoman, Ms Abbott wrote on X: “Ellie Reeves MP says ‘Labour’s general election victory was only possible because under Keir’s leadership we changed the party’. Changed it into an organisation whose leaders are in the pocket of millionaires?”

Blimey. She’s no fan!

Source The Telegraph today.

Mollygo

^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.^

And another excuse . . .
She could be a wonderful ambassador for the British fashion industry, without receiving freebies. Unless her millionaire husband is too mean to buy them for her, and that accusation hasn’t arisen yet.

If she prefers to stay in the background, and I can understand that, she didn’t need the freebies anyway. I wonder how her staying in the background will look.
Non-appearance at football matches or concerts?

One thing is certain, the eyes of the media will be on the freebie fashions worn by the PM and his entourage, just as they were about AR’s outfit.
Maybe it’s all been a cunning plan to distract from any further attacks on pensioners that he has up his sleeve.

If Victoria hates football there's no reason why she should have to go to matches.

She could be a wonderful ambassador for the British fashion industry, without receiving freebies. Unless her millionaire husband is too mean to buy them for her, and that accusation hasn’t arisen yet.
Yes, with her figure she could make anything look stylish and could be an ambassador for British fashion.
I don't think much of M&S fashion is made in Britain any more.

Poor Boris could wear a suit worth a fortune and still not look stylish.

They will vote for reform for many reasons, one being that they feel let down by a labour party who seem to be behaving like the Tories.

Mrs Starmer does have a very good figure but fashion produced in the UK is virtually nil. It’s no good her wearing clothing by a British designer because very few would be able to afford it.

I heard a new nickname for KS today, Free Gear Keir. 🤣

Lisaangel10

I heard a new nickname for KS today, Free Gear Keir. 🤣

Add it to the list of PM's nicknames!