Am I alone in finding this so tawdry?

Foul , greedy people. Not representative of the populace at all. Decent people don’t seem to go in for a political career these days.

I totally disagree that donors to political parties are always buying favours, bribing or buying access. Perhaps some try but the whole political system is propped up by donors big and small supporting different parties, without them how do you think we'd fund anyone standing for election? There are costs involved in running a democracy and those costs come from donors, whether it's big business, union subs or individual people.
I could buy my friend a suit to wear at an important interview because I want him to look smart and feel good and that's a gift. It doesn't mean I'm going to try to gain an advantage from my friend if she gets the job. I've a friend who has a holiday home which I've used many times foc. I've frequently let friends use our apartment ( actually got a friend's OH living there now foc.) Lord Alli is friends with senior members of the LP and has supported the LP for over 30 years both in and out of government. Tbh I find this idea that if you give someone a gift it's linked to gaining an advantage of some kind extremely sad. It's not how I live my life and I'm confident that I'm in the majority, the difference is some have more to share than others.

I have never imagined that all politicians are squeaky clean. But compared with the dishonesty and total absence of integrity that has characterised British political life for over a decade, this is all mere trivia and I can take it in my stride. If this is the worst the media can dig up, then I count us all very lucky

Hear, hear Luckygirl👏👏👏

And I’m sure the grubby little media oiks are working night and day to dig up anything they can find to discredit KS. The fact that they’re trying to create a so-called ‘scandal’ out of a non-story speaks volumes.

Lord Ali, gave Sue Gray’s son £10,000 in the run up to the election, Liam Conlon is MP for Beckenham and Penge (also chair if the Labour Party Irish Society)

However you try to play this down, it is not good optics especially after the Labour Party has decried every gift given to Conservative MPs over the last 14 years.

I am deeply disappointed with this government so far, but not in the least surprised!

Donorgate will rumble on. I think there’s a lot more to come.
Rachel Thieves recorded £7,500 for clothes for herself and put them down as “office expenses”. Who would call clothes an office expense?

LizzieDrip grubby little media oiks name calling usually occurs when an argument is lost…

True GG13 If the Guardian had reported it ‘grubby little oiks’ would not have been a reference!

GrannyGravy13

LizzieDrip grubby little media oiks name calling usually occurs when an argument is lost…

👏👏👏

Those hard working taxpayers are the people who brought us news of all Boris’s doings, which were welcomed with open arms. It’s a bit hypocritical to condemn them for doing the same job on Starmer.

name calling usually occurs when an argument is lost

Wow! If we apply that same logic, the argument about donations and freebies must be well and truly lost then. The name-calling of KS, RR & AR on here is, quite frankly, appalling!

Lisaangel10

Donorgate will rumble on. I think there’s a lot more to come.
Rachel Thieves recorded £7,500 for clothes for herself and put them down as “office expenses”. Who would call clothes an office expense?

I think you’re right, in that there is a lot more to come. MPs of all parties benefit, you only have to look at the Westminster accounts to see that, and if the donations and gifts cease it will completely change the nature of how parliament operates. I wonder how that will go down with MPs, and how the funding of election campaigns will happen in future if the government are forced by the media attention to change the rules around this?

LizzieDrip you seem to have forgotten (or perhaps you were not in GN) that since GN’s inception there has been a Conservative Government.

The constant euphoria from those who were not in support of the Conservatives every time a story which was less than favourable was in the MSM and thread after thread denigrating the Conservatives with a mixture of glee at their misdemeanours (true or false) and outrage at any gifts received was a daily occurrence.

Being the Government of the day is hard, everything they do, say or accept will be put under the microscope, and rightly so…

GrannyGravy13

LizzieDrip you seem to have forgotten (or perhaps you were not in GN) that since GN’s inception there has been a Conservative Government.

The constant euphoria from those who were not in support of the Conservatives every time a story which was less than favourable was in the MSM and thread after thread denigrating the Conservatives with a mixture of glee at their misdemeanours (true or false) and outrage at any gifts received was a daily occurrence.

Being the Government of the day is hard, everything they do, say or accept will be put under the microscope, and rightly so…

Well said GG13 👏 👏

"Being the Government of the day is hard, everything they do, say or accept will be put under the microscope, and rightly so…"

I agree with this but I also think that it's important for critics to understand the context rather than just jump on the bandwagon when it suits their POV.
Farage according to the register of interests has "earned" £134K since becoming an MP and has received £9,253 from a private donor for travel and accommodation to Belgium for a conference (16/17th April) before he was an MP and £32,836 from a private donor for accommodation in the US 17/19th July when he was. Purpose of trip "To support a friend who was almost killed and to represent Clacton on the world stage."
There is absolutely nothing wrong in him claiming this, a private donor can give him any amount of money, all he needs to do is declare it and follow the guidelines below. I really think people would find it interesting to see what MPs receive as gifts from private donors and it's easy to find out just look up Register of Member's Financial Interests, you might be rather surprised at what you see. Actually it made me think about the gifts I have been given over the years by friends that I would have to have declared if I'd been an MP because I have some kind and generous friends tbh I would look like a money grubbing OIK and I'm most certainly not that.
publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5803/cmcode/1083/report.html

It will “ all come out in the wash “ 🙂

Be good if Lord Alli would speak up at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool. Apparently loads of Labour Party activists and MPs are very disproving of what’s going on.

Keir Starmer has been a right doom bucket lately. He’s been encouraged to be more upbeat in tone when he closes the conference tomorrow.

Rachel Reeves is due on stage at noon today. It will be interesting to see if she is booed or heckled as feelings of MPs regarding the WFA are running high.

I don't care if the pm wear diamond encrusted y fronts, as long as he can do what needs to be done with the country.

MissAdventure

I don't care if the pm wear diamond encrusted y fronts, as long as he can do what needs to be done with the country.

As long as he purchased them himself out of his own millions

They would say that now they have stocked up on new clothes, accessories & goodness knows what else- hypocrites the the lot of them.
Dianne Abbot has well & truely gone up in my estimation

I've read regarding the cost of Starmers freebies is still £12000 less than Johnsons living room do over.

GrannyGravy13

MissAdventure

I don't care if the pm wear diamond encrusted y fronts, as long as he can do what needs to be done with the country.

As long as he purchased them himself out of his own millions

I saw a newspaper report that he owns 7 acres of land that could be worth £ 10 million and a house that he bought for £600K that could now be worth over a million. It just made me laugh. We own 12 acres of land and just like KS it does not have planning permission, it's agricultural land worth 10K an acre therefore worth £120K approx, less CGT if it were sold which would be substantial as we've owned it for 25 years and it has increased in value. People talk such a lot of tosh. KS is hardly rolling in money, he's done OK for a clever boy from a working class family but he's certainly not rich, comfortable certainly and so he should be as he's done important jobs in public service but he's never been a particularly high earner by London standards.

foxie48 a very quick Google shows that KS’s net worth is £7.7 million.

If you think that’s not a lot fair enough 🤷‍♀️

GrannyGravy13

foxie48 a very quick Google shows that KS’s net worth is £7.7 million.

If you think that’s not a lot fair enough 🤷‍♀️

We know the argument about land. It’s been used to prove that we aren’t entitled to benefits as we aren’t poor because we have a house worth . . .

Kier Starmer is in a position where he can afford to buy his own clothes, those of his wife, and his own reading glasses.

Mollygo

GrannyGravy13

foxie48 a very quick Google shows that KS’s net worth is £7.7 million.

If you think that’s not a lot fair enough 🤷‍♀️

We know the argument about land. It’s been used to prove that we aren’t entitled to benefits as we aren’t poor because we have a house worth . . .

As Labour intends to allow building of houses on grey and green belt land those acres could see people laughing all the way to the bank.

As are all mps who accept donations.