Sir Keir Starmer repays thousands of freebies after backlash (Image: Getty)
The peer at the heart of the donations row engulfing the Labour government is under investigation by a standards watchdog.
Waheed Alli is facing questions over potential breaches of parliamentary rules about openness and accountability.
The inquiry was announced as it emerged Sir has paid back more than £6,000 worth of gifts and hospitality he has received in recent months, including the cost of tickets to Taylor Swift and the races as well as clothes for his wife, Lady Victoria Starmer.
The Prime Minister is overhauling hospitality rules for ministers following the backlash over freebies.
Don’t miss…
Lord Alli, who was briefly given a No 10 pass, has been a major donor to Sir Keir and key members of his Cabinet.
A Downing Street spokesman said: “The Prime Minister has commissioned a new set of principles on gifts and hospitality to be published as part of the updated ministerial code.
“Ahead of the publication of the new code, the Prime Minister has paid for several entries on his own register. This will appear in the next register of members’ interests.”
Gifts paid for by Sir Keir include four Taylor Swift tickets from Universal Music Group totalling £2,800, two from the Football Association at a cost of £598, and four to Doncaster Races from Arena Racing Corporation at £1,939.
An £839 clothing rental agreement with Edeline Lee, the designer recently worn by his wife to London Fashion Week, along with one hour of hair and makeup, was also covered by the Prime Minister.
Don’t miss…
But Sir Keir has also accepted a further £6,134 in “clothing and personal support” for Lady Starmer in June from Lord Alli, according to the latest register of interests.
That declaration is likely to come under scrutiny after it was announced that the peer is under investigation by Parliament’s standards watchdog over a potential breach of the members’ code of conduct.
The Lords’ commissioner is looking at an “alleged non-registration of interests” by the former media executive.
The Prime Minister also took £920 from stadium for two tickets to the north London derby in September, and £1,000 from Arsenal FC for a game in August, according to the register.
He has previously defended his decision to accept hospitality in order to attend football matches, citing security concerns which prevent him from watching from the stands without a large and expensive police presence.
A Labour spokesman said: “Lord Alli will co-operate fully with the Lords’ Commissioner and he is confident all interests have been registered. We cannot comment further while this is ongoing.”