Sir Keir Starmer declares gifts and freebies totalling more than £100,000 - the highest of any MP

[TealTraybake]

Perhaps the Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire needs his freebies because MPs aren’t paid enough. Or perhaps he’s just the knight commander of the most astonishing hypocrisy.

There is no expenses and gifts scandal. It’s all within the rules.
I know you don’t like ‘but the Tories’, but there really is scandal there which will gradually come to light.

I agree. It was easy to promise 'change' less so to actually deliver good policy

As for stuck with them until the next GE in pp, some might be happy about that but if they can't get growth expect more 'pain' and 'difficult decisions'. Even the public sector won't be immune from that.

I can't see why anyone would welcome being stuck with that.

Well, that’s not my assessment of what will happen - it’ll be tough because both the economy and the public sector have been trashed in various ways but I’m not expecting things to get worse. But even if they did, that’s the system. They get a term unless there’s a VONC, which won’t happen.

If it does get worse then I doubt people will be as comfortable with it as your post suggests.

Maybe they'll live up to 'country before party' pre GE promise and pull the rip cord if they really can't get growth.

Given defence spending requires it and pretty much everything the public will rightly demand change

Which people? It needs to be Labour MPs…
Ypu don’t seem to like the way the political leadership of this country is organised. Odd, because before the election you seemed really keen.

How about the leader who said 'country before party' at a press conference

Nothing odd about what I'm posting. Entirely consistent with what I think Labour will be like.

If he really can't get the growth to meet even defence increase perhaps he'll do everyone favour

Nevertheless, just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should.

It doesn’t need someone with much political nouse to think that taking tens and tens of thousands of pounds of free clothing while announcing a plan to push a million pensions into fuel poverty is not a good idea. To underline their rank stupidity (or arrogance?) the day after the story broke, the PMs wife was at a U.K. fashion show.

It’s as if they had a plan to win the election, but no plan of how to actually govern. It’s some achievement for the PM to be more unpopular than Rishi Sunak, and after only 12 weeks in the job. All completely avoidable with a bit of common sense.

What’s he done that puts party ahead of country?

Oh, I agree. Unforced error. Looks terrible. Still not a scandal.
Re no plan- you don’t think all the stuff achieved since having some free clothes and accessories demonstrates a plan?

I'm responding to your post that we would be stuck with them

Not necessarily if he were to live up to his own pledge

It's not the case yet but there is a way within the democratic system, of course there is

You’re deluding yourself because you don’t like it that Labour won I’m afraid there’s no evidence they won’t do very well yet.

This i don't get, if its within the rules, why should people make up their own ones?

Surely the rules should be changed?

Went to a UK fashion show? Fashion is a huge industry in the UK but now the PMs wife shouldn't support it.

I see.

Yep sure.

There's no evidence they will 'do very well yet' either. And I know you are defensive over Labour but it's not looking very good

See recent polls not mn pro Labour threads

Polls don’t tell us what might happen after the budget, or after subsequent budgets. Also I’m not defensive. Defending someone from silly attacks like ‘ooo they’re in trouble they’ll have to resign’ before their first budget isn’t being defensive, it’s being rational.

Because if you’re banging on about how tough things are going to be, a subtext of ‘but not for me, free gear Kier, because I’ll get someone else to pay for everything’ will inevitably get headlines. That was entirely foreseeable.

No one is saying his wife should t support U.K. fashion - they are saying that, given the government had already screwed up, it might have been better to let the dust settle and not give the press more headlines by attending that particular show. It’s just seems politically inept - which, 12 weeks in isn’t a good look for a government.

Silly rumours? Being his infamous rose garden speech you mean? And the continuous reference to the 22bn black hole you mean?

Try not to be quite so reductive - this is a very serious discussion.

Polls tell us it's not just a few on mn who have an issue with Labour.

And nowhere did I say they had to resign now so you've misread a post, I said there was a democratic process for doing so which you seemed to be missing.

Silly rumours about cancelling council tax single person discount and making the state pension means tested, for eg. It’s very obvious people are shit stirring.

He and all other MPs were taking gifts years ago, he cannot undo that, for whatever reason, the media decided to report on clothing etc AFTER the GE, the intention to damage the Govt and hence the UK, i don't think thats a particularly great thing to do, do you?

Lady Starmer is a private individual, she can go to whatever show she wishes to support or should she do what her Husband tells her to do?

I do think the WFA was a massive mistake and on that, they should have the courage to reverse it.

But the rest of it? unwise but all within the somewhat self-serving rules.

Exactly my thoughts.

WFA, Vat on PS fees, a ‘painful’ budget.

Be serious - the direction of travel is clear.

The unions may well compel him to do so.

MyCatHatesSandals
The silence on Mumsnet is deafening.

There are at least three other threads on this.

And about 11ty billion about
charging VAT to private school
business 🙄🙄🙄🙄

That you Nige?

Tories demanding a PM
be "whiter than white" is pretty fucking laughable. Also quite a racist sounding phrase. Why am I not surprised....?