Edward Upali in Canada
After 14 years of chaotic rule, the governing Conservative Party of the UK, lost the General Election to the Labour Party on July 4, this year. However the Labour Party, battered by successive election losses and the threat of losing ground to the Liberal Democrats, had transformed itself to be almost an image of the Conservative party, never mind their working class supporters. Since the July 4, election, Labour were out to reassure the British voting public that they have nothing to fear from a Labour take over, and that life would go on as usual, except for the old age pensioners.
The Labour Party was led by Sir Keith Stramer LLB, KCB, KC. the leader of the Opposition since 2020, became the Prime Minister of the UK on July 4. Rishi Sunak, B.A. M.B.A , the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Conservatives became the leader of the Opposition.
Rishi Sunak, the UK born son of an Indian doctor, had received his early education at an exclusive private school – Winchester College, then graduated from Oxford with a B.A in Economics. Sunak then completed an MBA at Stanford University, in California. Thereafter Sunak worked at the Investment Banking firm Goldman Sachs, and later as a Partner of two hedge funds. In 2015 Rishi Sunak was elected to parliament as an MP of the Conservative Party and served as a Junior Minister under Theresa May, and supported Boris Johnson’s Brexit campaign to leave the EU. Sunak was the Chancellor of the Exchequer under Boris Johnson till 2022, and became the Prime Minister in 2023. Sunak’s wife is the daughter of the billionaire owner of Infosys – a multinational software Company.
Stramer, the son of a tool maker and a nurse, received his early education at Reigate Grammar school prior to graduating with an LL.B, from the University of Leeds. He did postgraduate studies at Oxford, specialising in Criminal Law. Stramer was also the first member of his family to get a University degree. Prior to retirement from His Majesty’s Service in 2014, Stramer was the Director of Public Prosecutions, and served as UK’s Attorney General. He was elected to the UK Parliament in 2015 as the Labour MP for Holborn. Stramer is married to Lady Victoria, a lawyer. Recently, Keir Stramer proudly told the BBC, “I am not working class anymore”. The right wing Daily Mail reported that Stramer paid off the mortgage on a £2 million house in the trendy Kentish Town in North London.
During the last 5 years, as the Leader of the Opposition, Sir Keir Stramer has reported expenses over £107,000, free tickets and gifts, more than any other major party leader in recent times. The Prime Minister has accepted almost 40 sets of free tickets during his time as the Labour leader, mostly to football matches but also £4,000 of hospitality at a Taylor Swift concert and £698 of Coldplay tickets in Manchester.
Stramer was criticised for the scale of gifts given to him by Lord Alli, who paid for work clothing worth £12,000, accommodation valued at more than £20,000 and reading glasses valued at £2,485. The donor was given a temporary pass to No 10 Downing Street after the election. Starmer’s acceptance of freebies raised eyebrows after the Financial Times reported that he had taken £76,000 worth of hospitality and gifts. Since then, he has declared another £4,000 in Taylor Swift tickets and £20,000 of accommodation from Lord Alli. The row over Alli’s donations risks defining Labour’s first months in office, and partly overshadowed their party conference in Liverpool.
Stramer’s wife, Lady Victoria, has also received clothes as donations. According to the Sunday Times, Stramer had breached parliamentary rules by failing to declare some of his wife’s high-end clothes were bought for her by Keith Stramer’s biggest personal donor, Lord Alli, the former chairman of online fashion retailer Asos. Lord Alli paid for a personal shopper, clothes, and alterations for Lady Victoria Starmer both before and after the Labour leader became the Prime Minister in July. MPs are required to register gifts and donations within 28 days of receiving them, but it is understood the donations for Lady Starmer’s clothes were submitted late.
In the meantime, Keir Starmer has rejected accusations that he had not followed parliamentary rules relating to gifts of clothes to his wife. The Prime Minister has said there is a “massive difference between declarations and corruption”, and said he did not accept the notion that taxpayers should fund clothes for senior politicians and their spouses.
Other previous major party leaders have not declared so many free tickets and hospitality. Some other gifts, received prior to Stramer becoming the PM, were not listed as they were described as being “for the private office” of the leader of the opposition. The revelations by Stramer and some of his front bench members have reignited a row over the extent of donations that some of his frontbench team has accepted while in opposition.
In contrast David Cameron has a set of Rugby World Cup tickets, and was hosted at the Conservative party’s Black and White ball, along with various gifts of hampers and other treats. He also registered £4,475 of discounted personal training sessions.
Labour leader from 2010 to 2015, Ed Miliband declared British Airways upgrades on a flight to South Africa worth up to £5,866 and Paralympic tickets of unknown value. Jeremy Corbyn revealed he took Glastonbury tickets worth about £450 two years in a row for a family member but he otherwise did not accept hospitality as Labour leader from 2015 to 2020 – aside from a first edition book donated to a museum.
However, while he was prime minister, Boris Johnson declared a £15,000 holiday from donor David Ross, and a £12,000 party paid for by Brown’s Hotel while he was party leader. Rishi Sunak has declared any personal gifts or hospitality, apart from being an honorary member of the Carlton Club worth £2,595.
Some Tory MPs have condemned Sir Keir for accepting the gifts at all, with shadow science and technology secretary Andrew Griffith saying:
“It beggars belief that the Prime Minister thinks it’s acceptable that pensioners on £13,000 a year can afford to heat their home when he earns 12 times that but apparently can’t afford to clothe himself or his wife.”
The cut passed in parliament means that from this winter only those claiming pension credit or other means-tested benefits will receive help with their fuel bills, whereas previously the allowance was available to anyone over the age of 66. The move is expected to reduce pensioners in receipt of the up to £300 payment by 10 million, from 11.4 million to 1.5 million, saving the exchequer around £1.4bn this year.
Sir Keir Starmer’s secret weapon: meet Lady Starmer who made a star turn at Labour Party Conference ….
OLI SCARFF/Getty Images
Hard to disagree in general, but in response to ‘except the pensioners’ one might reply that, along with the very rich, they were the group that the previous government throughout its 14 years protected, and indeed privileged, while they were hammering everyone else.
Labour has no friends in the media. What B Johnson failed to declare on just his flat renovation far exceeded Starmer’s total of entirely declared gifts. Anyway, just smokescreens that mask the reality!
‘Labour friends of Israel’ run the party (they deposed Corbin) while Conservative friends of Israel’ run the other side. Here’s Sir Alan Duncan, former Tory foreign minister describing how the Conservatives are coopted: see