Am I alone in finding this so tawdry?

It wasn't that long ago Starmer was shouting sleaze, sleaze, sleaze!
Now Angela Rayner has been accused of taking a free holiday in New York with a mate.
Are they Champagne socialists or just hypocrites?

Sorry - PMs' nicknames 🙂

I liked the new Starmer look, very distinguished among the other leaders, much better than the Boris dress.
Who shocked the press in the 60s, when they wore elbow pads at the Cenotaph.

mokryna

I liked the new Starmer look, very distinguished among the other leaders, much better than the Boris dress.
Who shocked the press in the 60s, when they wore elbow pads at the Cenotaph.

Liz Truss always look smart.

I'll leave it there.

looked

I wish we could edit!

Lots of people could produce the Starmer look . . . If only someone would give them the clothes to do it -or leave them with enough money to do it.

A woman on TV last night said that no British designer would want to see Starmer wearing their clothes.

I heard that Rachel Reeves declared the donation she received for clothes as an 'office expense'! Perhaps I can claim for my dresses as an office expense on my tax return. Although I think the HMRC would have a different opinion

As an infant teacher many years ago I was not even allowed to claim for an overall to wear in art lessons, having had clothes ruined by paint, glue and glitter. The only person allowed to claim for work wear was the Headmistress, and she was so disgusted she ordered an overall for every member of the staff via one of the school equipment catalogues, paid for by capitation. Nowadays much of capitation goes on providing free schools meals.

sundowngirl

I heard that Rachel Reeves declared the donation she received for clothes as an 'office expense'! Perhaps I can claim for my dresses as an office expense on my tax return. Although I think the HMRC would have a different opinion

And guess where the money from the office and the clothes are coming from.
But IPSA probably approved it.

I’ll have to take them to the charity shop then!

When I worked as a public servant you weren’t allowed to accept gifts and hospitality, to protect the organisation’s integrity. It should apply to all politicians as well. Additionally it’s hypocritical for one party to blame another and then do the same themselves. People were hoping for higher standards.

Mollygo

Do remember that he only mentioned not taking clothes, or donations for clothes. There are other things, that are far less visible that he has made no such claim not to accept.

Now he has a new wardrobe

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.

Ambassador for pri-mark- after we have paid our energy bills, that’s all we will be able to afford 😩

TerriBull

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

Me too, I used to chew the straw so hardly any came out 🤣

Lisaangel10

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

🤣🤣🤣🤣

25Avalon

I’ll have to take them to the charity shop then!

When I worked as a public servant you weren’t allowed to accept gifts and hospitality, to protect the organisation’s integrity. It should apply to all politicians as well. Additionally it’s hypocritical for one party to blame another and then do the same themselves. People were hoping for higher standards.

What do people expect, he’s gone back on everything he’s said 😩

There’s a written ministerial code covering this. I believe it has been broken many times.

I don't have a problem with politicians who are on the world stage accepting gifts from donors as long as they are properly declared and subject to scrutiny and tbh I see no difference in accepting the use of a private helicopter (Sunak), air tickets and accommodation in the US to put Clacton on the world stage (Farage) than being given the money for a decent suit. If we don't want our politicians being given gifts then we should ban it, give them decent allowances for travel, accommodation and clothing. Even when they are off duty they can't travel or attend any function (including a football match) without security (unless your are Boris going to party with the KGB), Senior politicians of any party are required to attend all sorts of occasions often with their spouse and I want them to look good, not like man at C&A. He's currently paid less than he would as DPP and contrary to what some seem to think, we do not pay our politicians well, perhaps that's why some are such poor quality. I certainly don't want a system that only attracts people who are already wealthy or see it as an opportunity to make contacts so they can make money! It's also a pretty unstable career move. FGS lets punish those who break the law and stop pretending that senior politicians (of any party) must behave like Fred next door or Joan at the coffee shop to have any credibility.

Have you read the ministerial code foxie48?

Starmer is worth around 7 million.. He can afford a few new suits and Lady S a few frocks, or she could hire like Johnson's wife.
This could be his "Partygate"?
This isn't going to go away.
Same as WFA, then he gives Sue Grey a pensioner a big payrise, and it's only been a few weeks in office.

The ministerial code does not have the force of law. Another anomaly then?
Goods under £140 are kept but anything over that is not. So the code states. Something a bit dodgy here?

'Donations to MPs are “a feature of our politics”, Angela Rayner has insisted amid a row over Labour politicians accepting gifts and freebies.' This appeared on a news feed today, as a comment that AR has made to the BBC. I must be so naive - I really did think that such items would be regarded as harming impartiality, and should not be accepted. Another of my little fantasies, it seems.

ronib

Have you read the ministerial code foxie48?

Not in it's entirety, but are you suggesting that Starmer or anyone else in his cabinet has "broken" the code, especially in respect of impartiality by accepting gifts? If so, who and how?

Visgir1

Starmer is worth around 7 million.. He can afford a few new suits and Lady S a few frocks, or she could hire like Johnson's wife.
This could be his "Partygate"?
This isn't going to go away.
Same as WFA, then he gives Sue Grey a pensioner a big payrise, and it's only been a few weeks in office.

The question of whether he can afford to buy his own suits or not is not the issue here. If he couldn't afford to buy a few suits how would it change the issue?
Sue Grey is paid a salary commensurate with the role that she is performing, it is the PM who is being underpaid.

This could be his "Partygate"?

It’s not remotely comparable but, of course, the media will create the narrative that it is… and it won’t go away because the media will keep it alive!