Lord Waheed Alli, has he bought the government?

Do you mean defending rather than defining maddyfour? I’m not defending the practice, I’m saying that when it is common knowledge that a practice is endemic, selecting one incident and using it as an example because it suits your political viewpoint is biased, that’s all.

commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cdp-2021-0121/
Look at the section on Candidate Spending eazybee.

Casdon

Why are you selecting this incident if not for reasons of personal dislike then? I’m not in favour of donations or gifts either, but I do understand the endemic nature of them, and I do not think that it will be a simple task to unpick what the consequences of banning them altogether would be. I also think it would completely change the politics of the UK if it were to change - dismantling a centuries old system.

I’m not selecting a particular example, apart from as an example, and I think you are well aware of that.

More to the point, why are you defining this disgraceful practice?

Iam64

In public service we were not allowed to accept any gifts. Simple. I’ve never really understood why teachers aren’t included. I’m not suggesting a box of chocs would mean johnie would get better eats results. I do feel it adds to
Pressures on families with mums feeling bad if their money won’t stretch to
The kind of gifts others give. Why not have a charity box where a pound or two can be donated anonymously with the cash used for a local children’s charity or to supplement the cost of school trips.

I agree with you Iam.
It wouldn’t have bothered me if I’d had to declare every box of Maltesers I ever received, and every Poundland ornament too. None of those gifts, given at Christmas or end of year, would change any grades as I didn’t award exam grades, since the children were too small. I’m not opposed to declaring these gifts, or even just informing parents that it’s not allowed.

My argument is that the giving of expensive gifts to politicians is suspect. I don’t care which party we’re talking about, I have no axe to grind for one party or another, my point is that it is a despicable practice, and in the main, done for a purpose.

Funnily enough, I’ve just seen Rebecca Long-Bailey interviewed and she echoed my point of view. She was given an extremely expensive handbag once, even with her initials on it, it was personalised, imagine the cost, and she was extremely embarrassed about it as she feels it’s not appropriate. She felt it too embarrassing to refuse, and so ended up buying the giver an expensive gift back. I understand her embarrassment. She felt the giving of, and receiving of, such an expensive gift, meant there was an expectation of something in return. She doesn’t agree with the giving of gifts to politicians. I agree with her.

What surprises me is that posters are defending this practice. Unbelievable!

Perfectly simple: donations made either to Party HQ or to the local branch of the association; used for campaign expenses. No gifts, accommodation, presents as operates in most large and small associations. Not difficult.

Why are you selecting this incident if not for reasons of personal dislike then? I’m not in favour of donations or gifts either, but I do understand the endemic nature of them, and I do not think that it will be a simple task to unpick what the consequences of banning them altogether would be. I also think it would completely change the politics of the UK if it were to change - dismantling a centuries old system.

There is no weakness in the argument that no politician should be accepting gifts. No weakness at all, and I’m actually quite shocked that anyone on here is trying to justify it.

Casdon
This government is not different to any previous government. They’ve all been accepting gifts for years.
Boris Johnson - wallpaper, holidays
Theresa May - designer shoes
Tony Blair - holidays

That’s only three examples because I don’t know what Sunak or Truss might have accepted. And that’s only PMs! What about the gifts all the other ministers might have, and have, accepted.

It’s absolutely disgraceful! It needs to be stopped. Completely.

maddyfour

Starmer is a personal friend of Taylor Swift?

The tickets were bought by the football club according to reports today, not donated by Taylor Swift.

It stinks! No other word for it.

What does the football club want? ( I do know actually.)

Picking on one incident without seeing the wider picture of donations in politics, where they come from and how they are used is simplistic and seriously weakens your argument maddyfour.

In public service we were not allowed to accept any gifts. Simple. I’ve never really understood why teachers aren’t included. I’m not suggesting a box of chocs would mean johnie would get better eats results. I do feel it adds to
Pressures on families with mums feeling bad if their money won’t stretch to
The kind of gifts others give. Why not have a charity box where a pound or two can be donated anonymously with the cash used for a local children’s charity or to supplement the cost of school trips.

Starmer is a personal friend of Taylor Swift?

The tickets were bought by the football club according to reports today, not donated by Taylor Swift.

It stinks! No other word for it.

What does the football club want? ( I do know actually.)

We would only understand whether this government is different to any previous government if there was a report identifying all political gifts received, via individual donors and by party funds from donors, going back, say 30 years. That is something I would like to see, because as I’ve said before I believe this is endemic in politics, particularly tickets to events - those are the wheels that all big business uses. I think it’s naive to expect that all political gifts and donations will be stopped, but increased governance is important.

maddyfour Thu 03-Oct-24 11:04:41
That’s very true Annie.

My ten year old granddaughter would have been over the moon to receive tickets to her favourite pop singer’s concert.

Why is Starmer’ s daughter more worthy?

Starmer is a friend, are you a friend ?

That’s very true Annie.

My ten year old granddaughter would have been over the moon to receive tickets to her favourite pop singer’s concert.

Why is Starmer’ s daughter more worthy?

There’s a good reason all those ‘perks’ should be declared.

Of course there is Sago.

I’d have been more than happy to declare all the boxes of Maltesers and bunches of supermarket flowers that I ever received as Christmas gifts from my children even though these were given with no expectation of any reward.

Political gifts on the other hand……….

Quote maddyfour Thu 03-Oct-24 10:47:01
Re tickets to Taylor Swift concerts, I think the whole thing stinks. Is Starmer really a big fan of Taylor Swift? This is a pop singer who particularly appeals to young girls, even children. At least he paid back the money for the six tickets he enjoyed.
I don’t care whether a PM accepts expensive wall paper or expensive tickets, the whole thing stinks.
Why are so many on here defending it?

Starmer has a daughter , a big fan possibly

I’d love to know how any freebies prime (ministers) have had over the years.

Of course you would. But that knowledge would do nothing to improve the system going forward.
In actual fact, this practice should cease. That’s what everyone should be wishing for.

My husband was in business banking for 25 years.

He was not allowed to accept anything from a customer, there had to be absolute transparency.

He had a colleague who was fired for taking something and not declaring it.
It was rumoured he had been underwriting loans that would not normally be accepted.

There is a good reason all these “perks” should be declared.

I’d love to know how many freebies previous prime have had over the years. Imo with the amount of stress the PM must be under with all the international problems we’re facing being able to see the football team he’s always supported safely and with no risk to the other people there is pretty fair. I hope he can get a refund on his season ticket given that I doubt if he’ll be able to go in future. Bet he doesn’t get to play football any more, either. That’ll teach him for winning the election won’t it
.

Re tickets to Taylor Swift concerts, I think the whole thing stinks. Is Starmer really a big fan of Taylor Swift? This is a pop singer who particularly appeals to young girls, even children. At least he paid back the money for the six tickets he enjoyed.
I don’t care whether a PM accepts expensive wall paper or expensive tickets, the whole thing stinks.
Why are so many on here defending it?

Funnily enough, I have never been offered free tickets to anything, nor gifts of any kind bar the odd box of Maltesers at Christmas from a child in my class.
Could that be because I’m not, and have never been, a member of any political party?

Quote GrannyGravy13 Thu 03-Oct-24 10:28:12
Annibach I am in not on a witch hunt

I am deeply disappointed that a party which as part of its election campaign was anti sleaze is now behaving just as previous governments.

Of course MP’s can go out with their friends to events, no one is saying they shouldn’t.

The question is Lord Alli seemingly being all over the front bench of the Labour Party, with his generous gifts and donations.

I am politically homeless, but I still want this government to succee

How can it succeed with the accusations doing the rounds, why
is it so strange that a member of the Labour Party has several
Labour Party members as friends? who are these ‘all over the front bench’ ?

If Starmer had been invited to these occasions by regular friends he should have paid for his own tickets and particularly those of his family.
Angela Rayner's free accommodation in New York, shared by her married lover; is that a necessary gift for a MP?
It is their behaviour that brings condemnation. It is not a witch hunt.

Anniebach

Thank yo Iam , I truly do not believe Starmer is corrupt, he has accepted invites from a friend, so have I, as well as Sinatra I
accepted an invite to see Ella Fitzgerald at Ronnie Scott’s to see
Ella Fitzgerald, how corrupt,
Starmer has explained why he was in the box fot footbal, extra security meant very large tax bill for security , he has bought season tickets for years.
What in now on SM is evil, his wife being Jewish is brought into doubt, and with the run up to the election there were only
a few journalists at Starmer’s house, what a lie.
I read this morning the media and the public have a right to
know the names of his children !
It’s a witch-hunt, same as with Angels Rayner, brutal and here on GransNet too

I agree.

Annibach I am in not on a witch hunt

I am deeply disappointed that a party which as part of its election campaign was anti sleaze is now behaving just as previous governments.

Of course MP’s can go out with their friends to events, no one is saying they shouldn’t.

The question is Lord Alli seemingly being all over the front bench of the Labour Party, with his generous gifts and donations.

I am politically homeless, but I still want this government to succeed, not to do so would be disastrous for the Country and us all.