The Conservative Party has demanded an inquiry into whether United Kingdom Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer violated regulations by failing to declare clothing gifts given to his wife Victoria Starmer by Labour donor Lord Waheed Alli.
According to the Sunday Times, gifts included services for a personal shopper and clothing alterations, which were not listed in the MPs’ register of interests.
The UK prime minister emphasized the importance of adhering to rules, noting that his team has sought guidance on the necessary declarations.
On Monday, Conservative shadow minister Andrew Griffith formally requested that the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner investigate the matter. The commissioner has the authority to recommend penalties ranging from formal apologies to the suspension of MPs.
Gifts from Labour donor Lord Alli, which included clothing and alterations for Sir Keir Starmer’s wife, Victoria, were reportedly given both before and after Labour’s election victory in July. MPs are obligated to declare gifts within 28 days.
The British newspaper claimed that the PM contacted parliamentary authorities on Tuesday to make a late declaration after receiving updated guidance on registration requirements.
Starmer stressed the importance of transparency, stating, “That’s why, shortly after the election, my team reached out for advice on what declaration should be made to ensure compliance with the rules.” He added that they had sought further advice recently, leading to the relevant declarations being made.
In July, Starmer won the UK elections and pledged action to fix the country, not just words.
The centre-left Labour won a massive majority in the 650-seat parliament, prompting Rishi Sunak’s resignation on Friday morning. Starmer then went to meet King Charles and was formally named Prime Minister.
The case relates to Pakistan where former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife faced a state gifts case, also known as Toshakhana.
One month ago, the United Nations’ Working Group on Arbitrary Detention said that Khan’s detention and prosecution in the first Toshakhana case and cipher cases were “without legal basis” and were politically motivated to exclude him from competing in the political arena.
