No. 10 change tack on ‘wardrobe-gate’

A week is a long time in politics. Keir Starmer began the week sending out his senior ministers to defend his decision to accept donations of clothing for both himself and his wife Lady Victoria Starmer from Waheed Alli, the Labour peer. On Sunday, David Lammy, the Foreign Secretary, suggested these donations were necessary, for lack of a special clothing budget so the pair could make Britain proud on the world stage. The Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds later took the line when asked about the wider freebies Starmer received (more than £100,000 worth of them), that this was simply part of the job.

However, Downing Street has now changed tack. This evening No. 10 sources have said that Starmer, Angela Rayner and Rachel Reeves will no longer accept clothing donations. It comes after the Financial Times reported that both the Deputy Prime Minister and Chancellor had also accepted thousands of pounds worth of clothing from donors.