Starmer repays more than £6,000 in gifts after donations row

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has paid back more than £6,000 worth of gifts and hospitality received since becoming prime minister, following a backlash over donations.

The prime minister is covering the cost of six Taylor Swift tickets, four tickets to the races and a clothing rental agreement with a high-end designer favoured by his wife, Lady Starmer.

It comes after Sir Keir and other cabinet ministers have faced weeks of criticism for accepting freebies from wealthy donors.

The prime minister said it was “right” for him to repay the cost of some gifts.

The prime minister said his government would bring forward new principles for donations “as until now politicians have used their best individual judgement to decide”.

“I took the decision that until those principles were in place it was right to repay these particular payments,” he said.

Sir Keir has committed to tightening the rules around ministerial hospitality and gifts to improve transparency.

Earlier, a Downing Street spokesperson confirmed that the ministerial code will be updated and will include “a new set of principles on gifts and hospitality” commissioned by Sir Keir.

MPs are allowed to accept gifts from donors but have to declare these on the register of MPs’ interests.

The media storm over donations to ministers has dogged Sir Keir’s government since Labour won its landslide general election victory in July.

The freebies have come to light after the role of Lord Alli – who has donated clothes and accommodation to Labour MPs and was given a temporary Downing Street security pass – came under scrutiny.

The Labour peer donated more than £32,000 worth of clothing and spectacles to Sir Keir when he was leader of the opposition, which he has not paid back.

Sir Keir has insisted no rules have been broken but has said he will not accept donations of clothing as prime minister.

Sarah Jones, a business minister, said she was looking into whether she can pay back a Proms ticket, given as hospitality by the BBC.

Asked whether other cabinet ministers should follow the prime minister’s example, Jones told ITV’s Good Morning Britain “it’s for people to look at this individually”.