Keir Starmer labelled ‘king of freebies’ by Scottish politicians as backlash grows over gifts from Labour peer

Sir Keir Starmer has been labelled the “king of freebies” by Scottish politicians amid a growing backlash to his accepting of gifts from the Labour peer Lord Alli.

The Prime Minister has declared more free tickets and gifts than other major party leaders in recent times, with his total now topping £100,000.

This included almost 40 sets of free tickets, mostly to football matches but also £4,000 of hospitality at a Taylor Swift concert and £698 of Coldplay tickets in Manchester.

Earlier this week he was criticised for the scale of gifts given to him by Lord Alli, who paid for work clothing worth £12,000, accommodation valued at more than £20,000 and glasses valued at £2,485. Lord Alli was then briefly given a pass to Downing Street.

Sir Keir has previously insisted his acceptance of hospitality is related to his security requirements of not being able to go into the stands.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer with his wife Victoria, who is also said to have received free gifts

He said: “If I don’t accept a gift of hospitality, I can’t go to a game. You could say: ‘Well, bad luck.’ That’s why gifts have to be registered. But, you know, never going to an Arsenal game again because I can’t accept hospitality is pushing it a bit far.”

Responding, SNP MP Kirsty Blackman said: "Sir Keir Starmer is the king of freebies. It shows he's completely out of touch with ordinary families across Scotland who are being hit hard by Labour Party austerity cuts, while he lives a life of luxury - raking in £100,000 of designer clothes, holidays, concerts and hospitality.

"It sends an appalling message that the Labour Prime Minister is milking the system for all its worth - at the same time as he takes £500 in winter fuel payments from low income pensioners and imposes welfare cuts that are pushing thousands of Scottish children into poverty.

"As he struts into Liverpool for the Labour Party conference this weekend, kitted out in the latest Louis Vuitton and Jimmy Choos, Sir Keir should take a look around at the misery the Labour government's two child benefit cap, bedroom tax and austerity policies are causing local families. And, perhaps, he could auction off his designer gear for a local food bank.

"This isn't the change that Scotland was promised - and it shows that whether it's a Labour or Tory government, Westminster will never put Scotland's interests first."