How serious is the Starmer sleaze row?

Another week, another accusation of sleaze in relation to the Labour party. After initially winning some plaudits over the summer recess for his handling of the riots, the new Prime Minister is now fighting fire on several fronts – from growing unrest over the Treasury decision to limit the winter fuel allowance to questions over the wisdom of the party’s approach to settling trade union pay disputes. But the most striking of the criticisms is the ongoing standards row.

In opposition, Starmer regularly promised to ‘clean up’ politics and launch a ‘total crackdown on cronyism’. This pledge makes up a chunk of Labour’s election manifesto with the promise of a new ‘Ethics and Integrity commission’. He has said his government will ensure ‘the highest standards of integrity and honesty’ – with his aides contrasting their approach to the numerous instances of Tory sleaze that dominated the past few years.

However, Starmer is now having to face questions over whether less than 100 days in to his tenure, his own government is already falling short of his rhetoric.