UK PM Starmer says he will not accept any more donations for clothes
LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will not accept any more donations to pay for his clothing, a Downing Street source said on Friday, following widespread media criticism over thousands of pounds of gifts he has received.
Starmer, who came to power in July, has come under fire this month after it was reported he had accepted donations from a wealthy Labour donor to pay for his work clothing and spectacles, as well as high-end clothes and shopping services for his wife.
Earlier this week Sky News said he had declared more than 100,000 pounds in gifts, benefits and hospitality since December 2019, more than any other member of parliament.
The Downing Street source said as well as Starmer, the Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner and finance minister Rachel Reeves would also decline any further donations for clothing.
Starmer has said he followed all the necessary transparency rules on declaring gifts, but the figures have been politically damaging at a time when his government is cutting financial help for energy bills for millions of pensioners.
(Reporting by Elizabeth Piper, writing by Michael Holden, editing by Louise Heavens)