Starmer accused of using Trump victory to ‘throw out the trash’

Sir Keir Starmer will not ban ministers from accepting hospitality despite the 'freebies' scandal
Sir Keir Starmer will not ban ministers from accepting hospitality despite the ‘freebies’ scandal - Frank Augstein/REUTERS

Sir Keir Starmer has been accused of “throwing out the trash” the day after the US election by publishing a report that revealed more than four in five ministers are trade union members.

The document, which confirmed ministers will still be allowed to accept hospitality despite the row over “freebies”, was published in the hours following confirmation of Donald Trump’s victory.

Downing Street insisted the timing was not a distraction tactic but senior Tories claimed the scheduling of the report represented “the height of cynicism”.

The 76-page dossier broke down the financial interests of all 118 Labour government ministers and revealed that 98 (83 per cent) were members of a trade union.

Labour confirmed on Wednesday that ministerial hospitality and gifts would now be published on a monthly basis, although all other disclosures are still to be made every quarter.

The previous Conservative government had pledged to publish all transparency returns monthly rather than quarterly, although this was not followed through.

Sir Keir will not ban ministers from accepting hospitality despite the “freebies” scandal that cast a shadow over his first months in office.

Instead, ministers will be ordered to take public perception into account after anger over free Taylor Swift tickets and loaned clothing that had been claimed by Sir Keir and his Cabinet.

The Starmers at Taylor Swift's Eras Tour in London
The Starmers at Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in London

The report also confirmed that special advisers have been given a legal right to an annual review of their salary following reported threats of strike action from staffers.

It follows a leak last month that Sue Gray was on £170,000 during her brief tenure as Sir Keir Starmer’s chief of staff, which was £3,000 more than the Prime Minister is paid.

With changes to the ministerial code, Sir Laurie Magnus, the Prime Minister’s independent adviser, will be able to initiate his own misconduct investigations for the first time.

But the Tories noted the new code also “reinserts an explicit reference to international law” when it comes to the conduct of ministers, a provision that had been removed by their party in 2015.

Sue Gray was reportedly on £170,000 during her brief tenure as Sir Keir Starmer's chief of staff
Sue Gray was reportedly on £170,000 during her brief tenure as Sir Keir Starmer’s chief of staff - Steve Back

A Conservative Party spokesman said: “It is the height of cynicism to use the US election result to throw out the trash.

“In the small print, Labour have surrendered to foreign courts, admitted that the trade unions run the country, given a green light to more freebies, signalled more money to spin doctors, and watered down government openness.

“Yet again, it’s more broken promises from the Labour Party who are as transparent as mud.”

A Labour source hits back: “While Conservative ministers spent years in power using their Tory freebies loophole to avoid declaring the value of hospitality, this Labour Government knows the importance of restoring trust.

“That’s why we are strengthening the rules – unlike our sleaze-ridden Tory predecessors, who voted to rip up the rules when they got into trouble.”

Alex Burghart, the shadow Northern Ireland secretary, said: “How typical of this Government to use the presidential election to try and bury its errors.”

He claimed the changes to the code were “weak and misguided”.

Three Cabinet ministers are members of a charity which has repeatedly accused Israel of “apartheid” against Palestinians, the report also disclosed.

Lisa Nandy, the Culture Secretary, Anneliese Dodds, the development minister and Hilary Benn, the Northern Ireland Secretary, are all members of Amnesty International.

Mr Benn and Catherine West, a minister at the Foreign Office, are members of the Socialist Education Association, a society affiliated to Labour which campaigns for more Left-wing education policies.

The society’s demands ahead of the general election included free school meals for all pupils, a complete end to SAT exams and the abolition of Ofsted, the schools regulator.

Meanwhile, David Lammy, the Foreign Secretary, recorded that he held small shares and share options in a carbon credits firm.

Carbon credits, devised as a way to reduce carbon emissions, can be bought by companies which want to meet net-zero targets while continuing to emit more carbon dioxide or greenhouse gases.

KLX/Pomeroon Group of Companies, works on developing carbon assets in countries such as Guyana and Sierra Leone, by investing in green projects such as the planting of forests.

The company then sells on carbon credits, based on how much carbon dioxide the asset absorbs, so that firms can offset their greenhouse gas emissions.

Mr Lammy made a significant push within the Foreign Office for policy to centre on “the climate and nature crisis”, saying this will be “central to all” the department does.

It is understood that Mr Lammy no longer holds the shares.

David Lammy made a significant push within the Foreign Office for policy to centre on the climate crisis
David Lammy made a significant push within the Foreign Office for policy to centre on the climate crisis - Chris J. Ratcliffe/Bloomberg

Lord Ponsonby, a justice minister, was a director of oil exploration companies active in Russia, although he resigned in the wake of Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Sir Chris Bryant, a minister at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, is married to a director at a sports betting firm, although gambling is not covered by Mr Bryant’s remit.

Seema Malhotra, a junior minister, has shares in consulting giant Accenture. Earlier this year, one of the firm’s top recruiters claimed the Government’s promise to give workers a right to switch off was a “load of rubbish”.

Sir Iain Duncan Smith, a former Conservative leader, said: “To use the famous Labour line, they must have thought this was a good day to bury bad news.”

After the Sep 11 terror attacks in 2001, a Labour aide infamously urged Sir Tony Blair’s government to use the incident to distract attention from “bad” news stories.