I am a Labour voter, a Labour supporter and I do not regret my vote.

[CurlewKate]

However, I think that Starmer has been incredibly stupid and/or very badly advised over this expenses issue. He has done nothing wrong, but his behaviour is not what he led us to believe he would do, and I am incredibly exasperated and disappointed.

In my opinion, he should admit that he made a massive misjudgement, and agree to take no more freebies from now on.

Apart from anything else anything which allows people to say "They are all as bad as each other" (they aren't) is a distraction from the real issues the country faces. He should be laser focussed on repairing the damage caused by 14 years of Tory misrule. Not scrambling around dealing with peripheral stuff.
Starmer-say sorry. Don't do it again. And get back to work.

Well, whippy shit for you.

The trouble is @CurlewKate - some people actually want to see the PM at the football etc to bond with the people. So are we the taxpayer going to foot the bill for a football box?
And if they do not do anything that is popular culture, then you just open up the doors even more to Reform?
Surely the answer is to have a committee to check off that it is OK to eg attend the football and just keep minutes as to why that is.

And sure they need to draw some parameters as to what is and what is not acceptable. But let’s face it - if they are going to investigate the sale of Oasis ticket racket then going to Taylor Swift with your teen is kind of understanding the public. So I think they just need to justify more.

Iirc he's always been put in a football box because of security issues . Football stadiums don't need to be dealing with him in the stands

He's done nothing wrong, but he should apologise? What's he apologising for if he's done nothing wrong?

The fact that you felt it necessary to post this whole bizarre statement suggests you think he HAS done something wrong

"He is far from the only MP to have received freebies over the past year, with more than 70 current MPs from across the House of Commons listing free tickets to sporting events in their registers of interests."

It doesn’t help that this is another slightly disappointing episode in a slightly disappointing start. I just feel like it’s all so wishy washy and negative. I think they just need to clamp down on the freebies for MPs - it doesn’t matter if it’s declared or not. In corporates now it’s unusual to be allowed to accept that type of hospitality or high value gifts as it’s widely recognised there’s no such thing as a free lunch.

It’s the clothes which is the really bad thing. And it’s not just him (and his wife! Which is worse. Surely she can buy a couple of decent frocks). Rayner and Reeves have both admitted it too. These are people earning decent money. Surely they don’t need help to buy suits. The wider point is that it’s totally tin eared given that they’re telling us we are gonna face this massive financial apocalypse at the Budget because of how bad the Tories left the public finances. Accepting tens of thousands of pounds of clothes as gifts in that context doesn’t exactly scream ‘I feel the pain of the working family’.

@Araminta1003 I see no reason why he shouldn't pay for his own box at Arsenal. I can quite see why he can't just sit in the stalls, or whatever they call the "normal" seats.

@WandaFishy99 "He's done nothing wrong, but he should apologise? What's he apologising for if he's done nothing wrong?"

He's apologising for not living up to the expectations he gave us.

Oh I see.
He's exactly lived up to what I expected of him.

Quite.

You may not regret your vote. I regret your vote.

I’m not a Labour supporter or a voter, but I was given a little glimmer, a bit of hope, that yes change would be good, more than a breath of fresh air.

It’s all bloody pants. Pensioners are suffering. Businesses are suffering whilst no one is spending because the budget is going to be “painful” and everyone is jittery. But the well paid train drivers got a pay rise. Hallelujah.

He can afford his own stuff. Ridiculous that he thinks its alright to sponge off rich friends, who may want favours in return.

If you or I got freebies we would be accused of all sorts.

Shrugs Why don't you judge him at the next election based on his results over the preceding five years?

He came in on a soundbite of "change" yet, as predicted, they are no better than anyone else. However they claimed moral superiority so should be able to live up to that. Which was obvious to some ie the whole faux WC/tool maker facade when in fact he is an Oxford graduate, millionaire, living in a £2 million + house and wouldn't know how the WC live in a million years.
The worrying thing is that so many people fell for it. None of the historical tweets from any in the cabinet have aged well.

I don’t laugh easily these days since it’s got so uptight but this made me laugh! 😁

I have checked through all the replies & I don’t see ‘Tory bot’ or ‘14 years of tories’. I am SHOCKED!

I agree op but unfortunately, you might regret as time goes on!

It's true he became those things but he still came from a working class background. Is that what you don't like?

On the OP - I agree I'm disappointed with the revelations about clothes etc but at least he's come out tonight saying there will be no more donations of this kind accepted. Johnson and the rest would have just denied it.

I don't care about his background except he was the one banging on about it. I do care that he is a hypocrite.

@twistyizzy "Which was obvious to some ie the whole faux WC/tool maker facade when in fact he is an Oxford graduate, millionaire, living in a £2 million + house and wouldn't know how the WC live in a million years. "
Are you saying that he doesn't come from a working class background?

I actually don’t see it as a misjudgment, I see it as being a grabby hypocrite. If I were worth £7 million I’d feel downright scutty allowing someone to buy clothes for me as a present like I’m a child. Even now whilst definitely not being a millionaire the idea of someone buying me (a grown woman) clothes and glasses would make me feel deeply unfucking comfortable. I’d rather look a bit tatty in clothes I bought myself and have a bit of fucking pride.

I genuinely thought he would at least have enough political nouse to not be this stupid.

I've been a leftie labour voter all my life and I detest Starmer and his 'it will get harder' bollocks. He's a cunt.

Starmer’s dad owned the tool making company. That is the definition of middle class.