they go back to 2019 its not like they are all today and he legally declared them every pm gets this stuff because they cannot do things like go and sit in a football ground so he has to now sit in a box so his security is safe
@@Sam88-l4k yes do it a lot on birthdays and Christmas and when someone buys me a body this story is bs he did everything right followed the law unlike the Tory party who 100s of billions of tax payers moneyto friends family and Donets for ppl that was never going to be made I would give a fuck if this was tax payers money it’s not unlike the Tory’s
I don't think so, I think it's only wrong when either it's not reported or there's an obvious benefit in return. Neither of which are evident in this instance.
Some freebies are as part of their job roles. Previously undeclared by Tories, but Labour want to be transparent so have declared items they don't even need to.
It is no more wrong for Labour to accept today than it was for Tory to accept six months ago, provided they declare everything that has greater value than a biro! If people are making a fuss now and let the Tories off, then I wish to remind them of the not declared golden wall paper and free food that Johnson accepted as presents. Double standards!
Companies linked to Conservative donors have collectively received £8.4bn in public money since 2016, analysis shows, more than 150 times what the party has received in support. Government spending and political donation records reveal that key contributors have given £53.7m to the Tory party since January 2015, while controlling firms that have received billions in government and NHS contracts over eight years. An anti-corruption charity has called for a ban on parties accepting donations from companies with public contracts, which would bring the UK in line with the US and other countries in Europe. Rachel Reeves, the shadow chancellor, said: “The British public are understandably still angry that so much money from the public purse ended up with the friends and donors of the Tory party.” There is no suggestion that the individuals or companies named have broken the law or committed any wrongdoing. But the analysis shines a light on the high value of contracts handed to political donors, and raises questions about the risk of conflict of interest. The donors include: Frank Hester, whose company The Phoenix Partnership has received £427.7m from the NHS and Department for Health since 2016 and who has donated £15.3m to the Conservatives since 2023. The businessman, mired in a row about comments condemned as racist and misogynistic, gave the Conservative party £5m in January. JCB Service, which donated almost £3.3m between May 2017 and September last year. Companies within the same corporate grouping have directly received £566,161 between April 2016 and April this year. Richard Harpin, who has donated £2.7m between May 2016 and March 2024, including a donation from a company he has significant control over: Growth Partner LLP. His firms Harmony Bridge Limited and Liberty House (Hull) Ltd received a combined £730,980 from Homes England between May 2019 and August 2021. Dr Selva Pankaj, who has donated £727,000 to the Conservatives since November 2015. His company FP(GB) LTD (formerly known as Fortress Properties) received £4,733,336 from Homes England between November 2020 and August 2023. The list of donors receiving public money includes many developers and property industry firms. Since 2016, 124 donor-linked companies have received more than £1bn from Homes England, the body that funds new affordable housing. A Guardian analysis of donations last year found that at least 10% of donations received by the Conservative party since 2010 had come from people or companies linked to the property industry. The figures are almost certainly an underestimate, because transparency thresholds for donation declarations and government spending mean that not all information is made public. The Guardian used public spending receipts provided by the government procurement data provider Tussell. Previously, any political donation over £7,500 had to be reported and published by the Electoral Commission. Since January 2024 the reporting threshold has been raised to £11,180. Some donors, such as Frank Hester, may have started donating money after their companies were awarded contracts in the public sector. Others will have been donors before their companies were paid by the government. A separate analysis by the Labour party shows that £4.5bn in contracts were awarded to Conservative-linked firms without competitive tender during the pandemic. Reeves said: “The scale of Tory sleaze following the onset of the pandemic has been scandalous, with analysis showing £4.5bn of taxpayers’ money being wasted. The British public are understandably still angry that so much money from the public purse ended up with the friends and donors of the Tory party. “A Labour government will stand up for taxpayers using every means possible to recoup public money lost in pandemic-related fraud and put that money into public services where it belongs.” Dr Susan Hawley, the executive director of Spotlight on Corruption, said: “The UK needs to do what the US and many of its key allies in Europe do and ban political parties from taking donations from companies (and their bosses) that bid for public contracts. But we also need much more robust rules to prevent companies bidding for public contracts in the first place if they or their owners make political donations.” All of the named donors have been contacted for comment. A Conservative party spokesperson said: “All reportable donations are properly and transparently declared to the Electoral Commission, published by them, and comply fully with the law. “Fundraising is a legitimate part of the democratic process. The alternative is taxpayer funding of political campaigning, which would mean less money for frontline services like schools and hospitals.
@@DemonDethchase well Starmer could get somebody to buy him £800 a roll wallpaper like Johnson did but did not declare like Starmer has. Or Starmer could have continued to use the private helicopter that Conservative Sunak did but Starmer cancelled it. Oh well, better winge about something.
Or how about he doesn't accept the gifts at all rather trying to defend him on it by saying the tories are worse? The tories are out of power now and focus on the fact that you voted another one in albeit with a different colour tie
The Tories were doing it from day 1 and nothing was said about it. Now that Labour are in power, the media has a meltdown. 2 tier system with the media.
It was always going to happen. Starmer was set up to win by the media just so they could attack Labour from the start. They knew he wasn't a genuine Labour leader and had lied to get to power. MSM would have have Farage or a Johnson return to power in 2029.
All gifts need to be rejected otherwise it leaves politicians open to accusations of bribery and corruption, especially when said politicians are toeing the austerity line and claiming the country cannot afford winter fuel payments to pensioners. Starmer is foolishly scoring an own goal that will haunt him throughout his tenancy at 10 Downing Street: Starmer should pay for his own football tickets etc..., he's paid sufficient as Prime Minister to cover his hobbies, spectacles etc...
Starmer is declaring gifts. Way more honest than Johnson and the other Tories that are routinely 'forgetting' to declare expensive holidays and other gifts. The fact that there is a fracas now, tells you all you need to know. This is yet another anti Labour smear, thinly disguised as a moral outrage over gifts. That same moral outrage was never levelled against the Tories! Double standards.
The problem is that political parties only receive limited public funding - they do rely on public donations. Perhaps the state should fully fund them which would remove donations, but I don't see that happening.
It wasn’t millions the Tories lost to fraud and corruption. The National Audit Office report said it was £21 billion. Yes £21,000,000,000 including the PPE contracts.
To be fair, the optics are appalling. Why Starmer took the freebies is incomprehensible. However, the msm is milking this way beyond reasonably interesting.
people in power .. ALL people in power are given free stuff. Little people in power are given complementary things, big people in power are given comparatively bigger things. At what size of the gift do things become "interesting".
I'm starting to think it's more because of the hypocrisy of the likes of Starmer and friends, acting as though they are better than the Tories (who at least are more authentic self serving arseholes), and then behaving exactly the same. I genuinely believe Starmer is a trojan horse, remember when he did that party broadcast from a Jewish memorial? Even if Labour wasn't already dogged by antisemitism claims (caused by them) why would he do that? How stupid can he possibly be? And why did no-one around him advise him of how messed up that was? I think he's just there to make Labour look exactly the same as the party opposite, who will no doubt regain leadership by default at the next election, now Keir has banished the left wing and is showing his supporters why the left wing hate him and what he represents.
It’s interesting that when Labour were in power, Doctors were banned from accepting gifts that exceeded around £5 from drug companies etc. No such thing as a free meal. MP’s should not accept gifts and neither should their partners/families.
And n o w you demand this? Why not six months ago when the Tories were in power and accepted gifts right left and centre? Double standards! I agree with you in principle. But your double standards smell!
@@MrsGardiner How do you I didn’t object to it before? I’ve said from many years ago that people should not accept gifts of high value. Their position may be compromised when the donors ask for favours. I agree, the conservatives were much worse. Johnson was disgraceful and crook. But I expected no less from someone who has left a trail of destruction in his personal life.
I agree there is more focus now it is labpur than the tories ever had but public sector workers arent allowed to accept gifts and all the companies I've worked for equally have it in their contract to not accept gifts with yearly training to emphasise the anti-bribary requirements. I think politicians should follow the same rules, across the board, refuse gifts. Expenses need to be tackled too.
@@SuperRipper1888 For the things they have done of course! I did not however know that tin foil was involved too. Thank you for enlightening me. In that case, as you suggest, let them also investigate the tin foil hat-gate! :)
They work along side the government, just like the banks. We winge on something that's never gonna change in politics. The general public is the divided to even work anything out for them selves
Ian Hislop was infront of a select committee 2 years ago he held the MPs to account and nothing happened about it ! Alexis Johnson was reported to get £150,000 a time to play tennis ? Was this to talk about backhands ? Or just rackets the media chose to make nothing of this !
From the woman caught laughing on camera at labour's 2019 loss. Free glasses, clothes and football tickets are much easier to un than ppe contacts, that's why it has traction with the public.
Starmer declared what he got . That’s not the same as using them. He preferred paying for a ticket in the part of the ground he preferred. Sunak as PM did not have to declare the value of the VIP seat at Southampton which he actually used.
Donations to build wind power and solar power and use to research other ways. The fossil fuel industry knows its days are over. Starmer is honest, its a novelty after what we went through with the thieving privateers and tax dodgers in charge. Brexit for one. But he is honest.
The scale of gifts to politicians is a perfect argument for a wealth tax. If they can afford to spend £20k on clothes for other folks they can afford to pay that as tax
Are you equally exercised by Conservative donors who have collectively given the party more than £21m since 2001 have been declared as the ultimate owners of UK properties held through more than 150 offshore companies in a new government register? They include major property developers, such as the Reuben brothers, David and Simon, as well as Nick Candy, a UK-based businessman who owns a £160m flat and other properties through companies based in Guernsey. Others include Mohamed Amersi, the telecoms businessman who owns a London property through a British Virgin Islands (BVI) company, and Sanjeev Gupta, the metals tycoon behind the steel firm Liberty Global, who owns a Chelsea property through a company incorporated in the Bahamas.
Or Frank Hester 2 or 3 clips of £5mln........? or , according to The Goodlaw Project 'Our investigation has found that, since the start of the war in 2022, the Conservatives have accepted at least £243,000 from Russia-associated donors - including at least £61,000 flowing into Tory coffers in 2023 alone.
@@johnsevern739 I am very exercised about all corruption. I was hoping for better from Labour. It appears to me that both main parties are in the pocket of big business and the ultra wealthy. A hedge fund doesn't donate 4 million quid to any political party without expecting something in return.
@BrianPhillipShields I think we all have to be careful about calling it corruption. Political parties receive barely any state funding and they ALL receive and require donations. The important thing is that they are declared and therefore transparent and, if there were any supposed 'cash for favours', it is exposed to public scrutiny. Additionally it is for reasonable party expenses and usage, which could be a mute point. Having ones own wedding paid for, for example or swanning of on holiday at a donors expense might cause, quite rightly outrage By the way operating from the Cayman island - it is a British Overseas Territory - is not illegal. Since 2010 there has been a Double Taxation Arrangement between the UK and Cayman.
@BrianPhillipShields Hi. I did reply earlier, but it wasn't published - no idea why, nothing astounding said! I just mentioned the to be careful about calling this corruption. All parties receive and depend upon donations to function as they're not fully state funded by any means. The important thing is declaration and public scrutiny. Taking funds from the Cayman iskands - a British Overseas Territory - is not illegal and we have had a Double Taxation Agreement with them since 2010. Receiving personal funding is a mute point - receiving personal monies for say a wedding or holiday may require more attention! Jess Philips - I wonder if she actually knows what a Hedge Fund does. Its easy to throw this label around suggesting it's somehow dodgy, when it's not. Hedging is a way to mitigate loss and UK Pension funds use hedging to manage risk.
I actually appreciate that she called it out for what it is, it’s a distraction and she even said that the would rather receive criticism for policies than constantly being questioned about some none-issue that was resolved a year ago.
If Jess doesn't want to answer this question, the Labour party should look back to how we all felt about TORY FREELOADERS! To me, this is even worse as we EXPECTLabour to be more socially aware of their actions and how the public view politicians freeloading whilst also drawing(to me) a generous salary! SHAME!
A storm in a teacup. It appears the gifts to the starmers only came to light when Sir Keir declared them. If you're a Tory it doesn't seem to matter, but it's different for other politicians (except Farage). Remember all the fuss about the Prescott family´s cars! Novbody would turn a hair to learn about the chairman if ICI´s choice of vehicle In fact I don´t recall anybody ever asking.
Politicians shouldn't accept gifts because usually something is expected in return, but typical of right wing media to go after Labour when they ignored what the Tories did
Is Starmer being unethical when receiving gifts? Probably not but let's wait and see. Are the optics wrong? Yes, labour have to be seen as whiter than white, any points like this will be amplified by our right wing media for their paymasters. Starmer should just say no.
Is he being unethical? Well pretty much every other profession is banned from accepting gift because it is seen as unethical. It was also stupid. How did Labour not see this as a problem?
Starmer should say no and once and for a l l gift giving and receiving culture should go! If not, then let us accept that if it was right for the Tories (if it was declared), then it is right for Labour too! Let us not indulge in double standards here! Or are you wishing to claim that it did not happen under the Tories, but Starmer is in the wrong? Nobody needs to the whiter than white, just because they are a party that is not the Tories!
All depends on how high or low on the class ladder you are . Bottom half it’s still corruption or illegal but as we start to climb the top half it become lobbying or mistakes have been made & lessons will be learned, which usually means doing a better job of covering their tracks
Labour in government aren't very good handling interviews. It's for the interviewer to steer the subjects, not for the interviewed to answer questions they wish were asked.
It can't be that difficult for Starmer to make a charitable donation to a somewhat related cause whenever he's gifted something of value that he doesn't actually need. Why doesn't he?
Why should he need to make a charitable donation, if it is common practice for Tory and Labour politicians and PMs alike? What's perfectly acceptable for Johnson (golden wallpaper, free dinners and a whole lot besides) is also perfectly acceptable for Starmer. Do you think Johnson made a charitable donation, which you seem to suggest Starmer needs to make?
@@MrsGardiner It might not be the best idea for Labour to let Johnson define what's acceptable and what's not. The win they got was for _not_ being like Tories, after all.
I wasn’t aware of Labour telling anyone not to accept football tickets or luxury clothes. Maybe Labour shouldn’t have had those parties at number 10 while telling the public to avoid gatherings. No wait. That was the Tories.
Any gift to a politician is a bribe, we are sick of it, we are upset with that behaviour and also with the influence of foreign powers on our politics and with Labour not representing the people of this country (at least those who actually labour).
I was thinking this over a week ago. Ridiculous how long this goes on for. It's like they have nothing else to focus on. They'd rather report controversy and failure than report what positives come out of anything in the world.
It’s not the amount it’s the principle. It’s all for influence and it must be the government who decides direction not rich donors whichever party it is
The thing that has to be remembered, is that Labour always has to keep their hands cleaner than the tories because the slightest hint of corruption or bias will be blown up, while for the tories excuses will be made or it’ll just be ignored and seen as a right of the ruling class. So for us on the left to be able to criticise these actions by those on the right, we have to carry none of these traits. It’s not good enough to just be doing it to a lesser extent and if anything, they should be ruling that no gifts, freebies or bribes should be accepted because what one person sees as a gift or a freebie, another may well see as a bribe…and the person/organisation doing the giving will presume that something will be more favourable for them in the future. I appreciate what Jess Philips is saying but I’m also pretty sure that she would be amongst the first criticising if it were a story about prominent members of the parliamentary tory party accepting freebies. We have to hold ourselves accountable and aim to be beyond reproach for our actions, otherwise we’re just hypocrites.
Taking gifts of any kind is wrong. Ethics and public service standards have been well understood forever. Starmer must know this. Social justice has a chance in Britain now and Starmer is messing things up already. Stand ready Andy
The value of a "gift" is irrelevant, in fact it doesn't even have to have monetary value it can just be a favour for friendship, what is important is that it is preferential treatment. Elected representatives are not private individuals they are supposed to represent a section of the public, they have no right to act as individuals when they are acting in a professional capacity.
Corruption is corruption. The amount of bribe does not matter. It turns out, that there is no difference between Starmer's Labour and the Tories... exactly what a lot of people already knew and said before the GE. No difference, nor with regards to corruption neither regarding Brexit. Pestilence or cholera...
It is not corruption if the donations were declared, why can't you see that? We all know about them precisely because they were declared. Nothing compares to the cronyism concerning PPE. Get a grip.
@@PatSmith-d5w A donation is money, that is given to an organisation you want to support. Paying a politician expecting favours, that cost public money is bribery, not a donation It does not make a difference, if this is declared or not. Maybe Starmer is selling government support to companies or people for less money. But this does not make him a better person, it just shows, that he is more stupid.
@@mrchainanimal3637 not sure where you get donations of 'money' from, facts please? We must have a different definition of corruption, I repeat and repeat again these donations were 'items' such as Arsenal tickets and clothes, and were declared so how does that make it corruption? I suspect it's more a case that you don't like the PM and in your mind that makes it corruption.
We should expect more of a labour government. If they are receiving gifts off billionaires at the same time as not removing the two child benefit cap and removing the winter fuel allowance whilst not taxing wealth questions will be quite rightly asked. Let's not pretend Starmer hasn't purged the left wing of the labour party.
It's worrying that Jess Phillips dismisses concerns about Keir Starmer accepting freebies, calling it "not important at all." Accountability in leadership matters. Meanwhile, the early release of domestic abusers due to overcrowded prisons puts victims' lives at risk. Domestic abuse commissioner Nicole Jacobs has warned that these releases will lead to more violence against women, with the justice system already struggling to protect them. Phillips should focus on preventing dangerous offenders from being released early rather than defending Starmer. If politicians can’t be transparent on smaller issues, how can we trust them to handle critical matters like public safety?
Maybe we could have a government that concentrates on governing would be nice. Being held accountable for gifts that were declared to a small amount is just preventing the govt from doing their job. He has to have a box now he is prime minister for security reasons. I wish we could just hear about our future not a pair of glasses gifted by a very good friend.
Many of us ordinary workers are prohibited from accepting gifts from clients/patients/customers. MPs are supposed to represent their constituents, not millionaires or lobbies, so there's every reason for them to accept the same prohibition
@@Nannyirene I hate the Tories as much as the next person but doesn't mean I have to listen to word salad from this idiot. She works for Starmer NOT YOU. They all do. "She knows the people she works for." That will age well when pensioners are freezing or starving and how did she vote on that? Oh yeah for it, what about keeping children in poverty - oh yeah for it.
Let us start holding the media to account. First stop the BBC getting a licence fee, hold the right-wing media to account for partygate and brexit. If the media is held to account we may end up with a better journalism.
I don't know of any other public service job that allows gifts to workers. It is against the rules to accept anything, whether it's care workers, the police or social services. IT IS CALLED A BRIBE.
It is tedious now. I've stopped watching Politics Joe and, Novara and The NewsAgents recently, because it's all they've been banging on about. They seem to have lost sight of reporting all the things that the government is actually doing.
Just because the Tories were doing it, doesn't mean that Labour should be. I accept that in principle, a Prime Minister should be allowed to safely attend a football game, but if it is true that he needs at accept corporate box donations or hire a massive security team, then I think it's fair to say that he just shouldn't go. Is that fair on him as a private individual? No, but it's part of the job. It turns out that you don't get to do everything in life, and if you're choosing to be Prime Minister of the country, I think you should recognise that involves making some sacrifices.
Starmer is totally dishonest...!! He lied to the entire party to become leader and now takes gifts while punishing the poorest and most vulnerable...these gestures matter...
No. Stop going on about theTories did this and the Tories did that so Labour's not so bad in comparison. This is a deflection from the main point. We expect better of Labour. Jess Phillips is a case in point. She has used her position as an MP to make money. The second highest earning Labour MP outside of her MP's salary. So, of course, she's going to be one of the last Labour MPs to admonish Starmer for his conduct.
When they are about to wield the knife over the collective wealth of the poorer in society while collecting freebies and not fair taxes from the super rich, this story has not been covered enough.
@@PatSmith-d5w Increasing council rents above inflation to fund new building, not taking on the private Water companies and making them pay ( not us) for their mess, removal of single person discounts and winter fuel allowances, not increasing wealth taxes ( no return to the 50p higher rate), HOW THE HELL DO YOU EVEN CONSIDER THEM left wing, especially as Rachel Reeves has George Osborne as her friend and advisor. Continuity Tories.
@@PatSmith-d5w What planet are you on? When Rachel Reeves takes advice from the architect of austerity, when winter fuel payments are removed, when fuel and water companies can continue to screw us, how can you call Red Tory Starmer’s party left wing.
@@johnsevern739 and the court of public opinion seemed to be quite with Sunak’s £40 million personal helicopter taxi deal funded by taxpayers money, by the way Starmer has cancelled that. Also Badenock’s own free tickets etc. and Jenricks reported donations from off shore sources. More like the court of Tory opinion
Funny how companies and public service have training and rules to not allow gifts. Something needs to be done about politics and their expenses and gifts. It's not just labour, it's all the parties that need to abide by the same rules they expect other public servants to abide by.
The problem is that political parties in the UK depend on 'donations' to function. The parties are not, primarily, state funded. What is important is the declaration
@@SirAntoniousBlock It is not corrupt. Starmer has followed the rules and declared all donations, unlike his predecessors. Maybe he should change the rules to cheer you up.
State funds are already available to politicians. It's called their salary and pension. But you are correct all "gifts" to politicians should be automatically refused with the donor being added to a list of lobbyists and made public so UK citizens can see just how much of this goes on.
It's small in comparison but Starmer has stood on being anti-corrupt & yet here he is taking "favours". It might be less than the Tories .... for now but it goes to show how political power corrupts. I don't get the arguments that we should let Starmer off because the Tories were worse. We shouldn't just blindly accept the lesser of 2 evils because ultimately it's still evil.
We should let Starmer off if he does the same we let the Tories off! Making a fuss now is not treating both the same! All politicians must be treated the same. Not moralising about the lesser of two evils. If it has not been made evil (which it has not!), then be fair and treat both the same. NOT treat Starmer less favourabley and overlook the golden, shiny wallpaper retrospectively, as this is what we have come to expect from the Tories, so I will let them off! Demand equal standards! Whatever the standards are! Presents happen, it is in the culture, especially when foreign politicians come to visit, or if the local suit manufacturer wishes to see their MP dressed a bit better than he is and donates clothing. It is no worse now than it was six months ago, when nobody made a fuss. To make a fuss now, is disingenuous!
@@Serpsss NOT when the tory press insists that a fuss must be being made suddenly, now that Labour has come to power! We all agree, that it should be stopped, but to allow the Tory press to set the agenda here, is playing right into Tory hands. And whether you are a Tory or Labour makes no difference. It is hypocritical for the tory press to come out with that right now and never when the Tories were in charge. 'WE' should have stopped Johnson's wallpaper, not let that one go! And so much besides.
Get them on to the topic of their ongoing support for a genocidal apartheid regime and watch how fast they'll want to go back to talking about who fills Keiths wardrobe again
No one made a big deal about Jonathan Gullis who was a teacher and he became a tory MP and by the time he was kicked out of Parliament by the voters was worth 5 million pounds , HOW???? And the rest of tory Mps
To me the ridiculous thing is that nobody finding an issue with the PM accepting freebies most people wouldn't turn down is naming a bad policy that someone's allegedly paid for. I suspect the real issue is just jealousy that its not a right wing PM getting freebies now.
it's because those who are asking the questions are nokonger giving the gifts. when you look at who gives the gifts and for how much it is pretty shameful. He claims more in gifts than any other MP. just because it's legal doesn't make it right. Kiers problem is he is led by laws not by morals.
And Amol Rajan on BBC R4 Today suggested that Starmer who has been a long time supporter of Arsenal watch the games at home rather than use the immeasurably safer option of an executive box.
£100,000+ is not a small amount of money, it's the going rate for serious political influence. Greedy Starmer should pay for his own clothes and entertainment, he's paid enough. If he wasn't a greedy sneak there'd be no story, and no story for Max to make a video about.
Easy solution. Don't accept them
they go back to 2019 its not like they are all today and he legally declared them every pm gets this stuff because they cannot do things like go and sit in a football ground so he has to now sit in a box so his security is safe
Would you not accept a free gift?
@@Sam88-l4k yes do it a lot on birthdays and Christmas and when someone buys me a body this story is bs he did everything right followed the law unlike the Tory party who 100s of billions of tax payers moneyto friends family and Donets for ppl that was never going to be made I would give a fuck if this was tax payers money it’s not unlike the Tory’s
@@Sam88-l4k quite simply no.
@@Sam88-l4k These "free" gifts come with a surprisingly high cost.
Respect to Jess for the work she does for abused Women ❤
Shouldn't it be abused people not just women?
@@davidhooper1767grow up .
The only person Jess Phillips cares about and promotes is Jess Phillips. Not looking forward to her next appearance on HIGNFY.
Shame jess doesn't have any standards for the party she's in
@@jerrysmith2360 That's why I ditched the licence
I think it's wrong to accept. The value of the gift is irrelevant.
I don't think so, I think it's only wrong when either it's not reported or there's an obvious benefit in return. Neither of which are evident in this instance.
@@Ploplox He got a pass to Downing Street in return didn't he?
Some freebies are as part of their job roles. Previously undeclared by Tories, but Labour want to be transparent so have declared items they don't even need to.
It is no more wrong for Labour to accept today than it was for Tory to accept six months ago, provided they declare everything that has greater value than a biro! If people are making a fuss now and let the Tories off, then I wish to remind them of the not declared golden wall paper and free food that Johnson accepted as presents. Double standards!
@jasonmcclatchie6877 He's been on the House of Lords since 1998
Let’s face it, this is about the Tory media and all their supporters, being pissed that 14 years of their gravy train area have ended.
Companies linked to Conservative donors have collectively received £8.4bn in public money since 2016, analysis shows, more than 150 times what the party has received in support.
Government spending and political donation records reveal that key contributors have given £53.7m to the Tory party since January 2015, while controlling firms that have received billions in government and NHS contracts over eight years.
An anti-corruption charity has called for a ban on parties accepting donations from companies with public contracts, which would bring the UK in line with the US and other countries in Europe.
Rachel Reeves, the shadow chancellor, said: “The British public are understandably still angry that so much money from the public purse ended up with the friends and donors of the Tory party.”
There is no suggestion that the individuals or companies named have broken the law or committed any wrongdoing. But the analysis shines a light on the high value of contracts handed to political donors, and raises questions about the risk of conflict of interest.
The donors include:
Frank Hester, whose company The Phoenix Partnership has received £427.7m from the NHS and Department for Health since 2016 and who has donated £15.3m to the Conservatives since 2023. The businessman, mired in a row about comments condemned as racist and misogynistic, gave the Conservative party £5m in January.
JCB Service, which donated almost £3.3m between May 2017 and September last year. Companies within the same corporate grouping have directly received £566,161 between April 2016 and April this year.
Richard Harpin, who has donated £2.7m between May 2016 and March 2024, including a donation from a company he has significant control over: Growth Partner LLP. His firms Harmony Bridge Limited and Liberty House (Hull) Ltd received a combined £730,980 from Homes England between May 2019 and August 2021.
Dr Selva Pankaj, who has donated £727,000 to the Conservatives since November 2015. His company FP(GB) LTD (formerly known as Fortress Properties) received £4,733,336 from Homes England between November 2020 and August 2023.
The list of donors receiving public money includes many developers and property industry firms. Since 2016, 124 donor-linked companies have received more than £1bn from Homes England, the body that funds new affordable housing. A Guardian analysis of donations last year found that at least 10% of donations received by the Conservative party since 2010 had come from people or companies linked to the property industry.
The figures are almost certainly an underestimate, because transparency thresholds for donation declarations and government spending mean that not all information is made public. The Guardian used public spending receipts provided by the government procurement data provider Tussell.
Previously, any political donation over £7,500 had to be reported and published by the Electoral Commission. Since January 2024 the reporting threshold has been raised to £11,180.
Some donors, such as Frank Hester, may have started donating money after their companies were awarded contracts in the public sector. Others will have been donors before their companies were paid by the government.
A separate analysis by the Labour party shows that £4.5bn in contracts were awarded to Conservative-linked firms without competitive tender during the pandemic.
Reeves said: “The scale of Tory sleaze following the onset of the pandemic has been scandalous, with analysis showing £4.5bn of taxpayers’ money being wasted. The British public are understandably still angry that so much money from the public purse ended up with the friends and donors of the Tory party.
“A Labour government will stand up for taxpayers using every means possible to recoup public money lost in pandemic-related fraud and put that money into public services where it belongs.”
Dr Susan Hawley, the executive director of Spotlight on Corruption, said: “The UK needs to do what the US and many of its key allies in Europe do and ban political parties from taking donations from companies (and their bosses) that bid for public contracts. But we also need much more robust rules to prevent companies bidding for public contracts in the first place if they or their owners make political donations.”
All of the named donors have been contacted for comment.
A Conservative party spokesperson said: “All reportable donations are properly and transparently declared to the Electoral Commission, published by them, and comply fully with the law.
“Fundraising is a legitimate part of the democratic process. The alternative is taxpayer funding of political campaigning, which would mean less money for frontline services like schools and hospitals.
Labour should turn this on it’s head and say if your worried by this we’ll ban second jobs,lobbying,gifts,see what they say then.
But how else will the poor multi millionaire, Keir Starmer, afford to buy his wife clothes if they stopped gifts!?
@@DemonDethchase well Starmer could get somebody to buy him £800 a roll wallpaper like Johnson did but did not declare like Starmer has. Or Starmer could have continued to use the private helicopter that Conservative Sunak did but Starmer cancelled it. Oh well, better winge about something.
Labour are in power now not the Conservatives. @johnhoulihan4000
Or how about he doesn't accept the gifts at all rather trying to defend him on it by saying the tories are worse? The tories are out of power now and focus on the fact that you voted another one in albeit with a different colour tie
@@RobertOwens-xb1ym they are looking at banning second jobs already
Woman who was gunning for Corbyn from day one thinks Starmer can do no wrong. Go figure!
The Tories were doing it from day 1 and nothing was said about it. Now that Labour are in power, the media has a meltdown.
2 tier system with the media.
Exactly. Right wing rags at it again.
They hate labour whilst holding them to higher standards.
True but it doesnt make it OK.
Whataboutary
It was always going to happen. Starmer was set up to win by the media just so they could attack Labour from the start. They knew he wasn't a genuine Labour leader and had lied to get to power. MSM would have have Farage or a Johnson return to power in 2029.
All gifts need to be rejected otherwise it leaves politicians open to accusations of bribery and corruption, especially when said politicians are toeing the austerity line and claiming the country cannot afford winter fuel payments to pensioners. Starmer is foolishly scoring an own goal that will haunt him throughout his tenancy at 10 Downing Street: Starmer should pay for his own football tickets etc..., he's paid sufficient as Prime Minister to cover his hobbies, spectacles etc...
Starmer is declaring gifts. Way more honest than Johnson and the other Tories that are routinely 'forgetting' to declare expensive holidays and other gifts. The fact that there is a fracas now, tells you all you need to know. This is yet another anti Labour smear, thinly disguised as a moral outrage over gifts. That same moral outrage was never levelled against the Tories! Double standards.
Exactly. It’s only the same standard as every civil servant in the country, who are not allowed to take gifts because of the potential for corruption.
@@andydyer6591 One rule for us, another for them, stinks of corruption.
The problem is that political parties only receive limited public funding - they do rely on public donations. Perhaps the state should fully fund them which would remove donations, but I don't see that happening.
@@johnsevern739 It won't happen, politicians like to be purchased and there is no such thing as a free lunch.
They all get freebies. Go after those who don't declare them! Let's return to Johnson's free dinners and golden wall paper and sort that out first!
It wasn’t millions the Tories lost to fraud and corruption. The National Audit Office report said it was £21 billion. Yes £21,000,000,000 including the PPE contracts.
Add £30 billion+ for the track and trace fiasco too.
So now they are in power labour can rectify this injustice yeah?
To be fair, the optics are appalling. Why Starmer took the freebies is incomprehensible. However, the msm is milking this way beyond reasonably interesting.
Everyone likes a freebie
It’s just nonsense
people in power .. ALL people in power are given free stuff. Little people in power are given complementary things, big people in power are given comparatively bigger things. At what size of the gift do things become "interesting".
I'm starting to think it's more because of the hypocrisy of the likes of Starmer and friends, acting as though they are better than the Tories (who at least are more authentic self serving arseholes), and then behaving exactly the same.
I genuinely believe Starmer is a trojan horse, remember when he did that party broadcast from a Jewish memorial? Even if Labour wasn't already dogged by antisemitism claims (caused by them) why would he do that? How stupid can he possibly be? And why did no-one around him advise him of how messed up that was?
I think he's just there to make Labour look exactly the same as the party opposite, who will no doubt regain leadership by default at the next election, now Keir has banished the left wing and is showing his supporters why the left wing hate him and what he represents.
Maybe he was doing his friend a favour wearing his clothes. His Mrs too.
Nothing compared to what Johnson accepted and did not declare!
Thats a great question how long the answer is as long as 90% of the media are tory supporters
It’s interesting that when Labour were in power, Doctors were banned from accepting gifts that exceeded around £5 from drug companies etc.
No such thing as a free meal. MP’s should not accept gifts and neither should their partners/families.
And n o w you demand this? Why not six months ago when the Tories were in power and accepted gifts right left and centre? Double standards! I agree with you in principle. But your double standards smell!
@@MrsGardiner How do you I didn’t object to it before? I’ve said from many years ago that people should not accept gifts of high value. Their position may be compromised when the donors ask for favours. I agree, the conservatives were much worse. Johnson was disgraceful and crook. But I expected no less from someone who has left a trail of destruction in his personal life.
@@MrsGardiner Whataboutery. It's wrong when any politicians accept gifts like this.
@@birchplywood8464 And you weren't fussed before the tory client media machine riled you up about it. I wonder why you only suddenly find it so wrong.
@@MrsGardiner You must be thinking of someone else. I've been calling this kind of behaviour out as corrupt for decades.
What a mess & completely avoidable !
...by voting Green
It is a stupid own goal. The right media were always going to jump on it.
£15.5 billions worth of PPE contracts have been red flagged as possibly corrupt!
So labour will get to the bottom of it then?
Beergate was another example of the tory press trying to stir up distractions.
It is the same way the media targeted Angela Rayner over a minor issue and ignored the major big things the tories did wrong
I agree there is more focus now it is labpur than the tories ever had but public sector workers arent allowed to accept gifts and all the companies I've worked for equally have it in their contract to not accept gifts with yearly training to emphasise the anti-bribary requirements.
I think politicians should follow the same rules, across the board, refuse gifts. Expenses need to be tackled too.
Exactly, why does Farage for example n o t get the full Rayner treatment? Or Johnson!
@@SuperRipper1888 For the things they have done of course! I did not however know that tin foil was involved too. Thank you for enlightening me. In that case, as you suggest, let them also investigate the tin foil hat-gate! :)
@@MrsGardiner the things they have done. I take it your case isn't ready to go to court. 😅😅
Double standards from the media
They work along side the government, just like the banks. We winge on something that's never gonna change in politics. The general public is the divided to even work anything out for them selves
True but it doesnt make it OK.
And double standards from a lot of the correspondents on here.
@@MrsGardinerIt is possible to be critical of Starmer while observing the hypocrisy of the media.
This issue will not go away until Labour clean up politics like Sir Keir said he was going to.
Thats never then.
Takes me back to when bliar was going to be whiter than white.
Ian Hislop was infront of a select committee 2 years ago he held the MPs to account and nothing happened about it ! Alexis Johnson was reported to get £150,000 a time to play tennis ? Was this to talk about backhands ? Or just rackets the media chose to make nothing of this !
From the woman caught laughing on camera at labour's 2019 loss.
Free glasses, clothes and football tickets are much easier to un than ppe contacts, that's why it has traction with the public.
She helped to rob us of a Corbyn-led government. I can never forgive her for that.
Starmer declared what he got . That’s not the same as using them. He preferred paying for a ticket in the part of the ground he preferred.
Sunak as PM did not have to declare the value of the VIP seat at Southampton which he actually used.
Sunak reportedly only went to see Southampton FC once, that's not a football fan in my eyes.
I will be more concerned about Labour's donations from fossil fuel companies.
Nothing wrong!
Britain is living on corrupt money from Russia and other dinosaurs.
Donations to build wind power and solar power and use to research other ways. The fossil fuel industry knows its days are over. Starmer is honest, its a novelty after what we went through with the thieving privateers and tax dodgers in charge. Brexit for one. But he is honest.
The scale of gifts to politicians is a perfect argument for a wealth tax. If they can afford to spend £20k on clothes for other folks they can afford to pay that as tax
Its not coming out of tax money so what? Tories spent our tax on buying their so called freebies.
I'm fed up with Labour taking a 4 million quid donation from a Cayman island based hedge fund just before the election..
Are you equally exercised by Conservative donors who have collectively given the party more than £21m since 2001 have been declared as the ultimate owners of UK properties held through more than 150 offshore companies in a new government register?
They include major property developers, such as the Reuben brothers, David and Simon, as well as Nick Candy, a UK-based businessman who owns a £160m flat and other properties through companies based in Guernsey.
Others include Mohamed Amersi, the telecoms businessman who owns a London property through a British Virgin Islands (BVI) company, and Sanjeev Gupta, the metals tycoon behind the steel firm Liberty Global, who owns a Chelsea property through a company incorporated in the Bahamas.
Or Frank Hester 2 or 3 clips of £5mln........? or , according to The Goodlaw Project 'Our investigation has found that, since the start of the war in 2022, the Conservatives have accepted at least £243,000 from Russia-associated donors - including at least £61,000 flowing into Tory coffers in 2023 alone.
@@johnsevern739 I am very exercised about all corruption. I was hoping for better from Labour. It appears to me that both main parties are in the pocket of big business and the ultra wealthy. A hedge fund doesn't donate 4 million quid to any political party without expecting something in return.
@BrianPhillipShields I think we all have to be careful about calling it corruption. Political parties receive barely any state funding and they ALL receive and require donations. The important thing is that they are declared and therefore transparent and, if there were any supposed 'cash for favours', it is exposed to public scrutiny. Additionally it is for reasonable party expenses and usage, which could be a mute point. Having ones own wedding paid for, for example or swanning of on holiday at a donors expense might cause, quite rightly outrage By the way operating from the Cayman island - it is a British Overseas Territory - is not illegal. Since 2010 there has been a Double Taxation Arrangement between the UK and Cayman.
@BrianPhillipShields Hi. I did reply earlier, but it wasn't published - no idea why, nothing astounding said! I just mentioned the to be careful about calling this corruption. All parties receive and depend upon donations to function as they're not fully state funded by any means. The important thing is declaration and public scrutiny. Taking funds from the Cayman iskands - a British Overseas Territory - is not illegal and we have had a Double Taxation Agreement with them since 2010. Receiving personal funding is a mute point - receiving personal monies for say a wedding or holiday may require more attention! Jess Philips - I wonder if she actually knows what a Hedge Fund does. Its easy to throw this label around suggesting it's somehow dodgy, when it's not. Hedging is a way to mitigate loss and UK Pension funds use hedging to manage risk.
Not many would consider Arsenal tickets a bonus.
Starmer loves to be taken up the arsenal. 😂😂
Starmer loves to be taken up the arsenal. 😂
I actually appreciate that she called it out for what it is, it’s a distraction and she even said that the would rather receive criticism for policies than constantly being questioned about some none-issue that was resolved a year ago.
I'd like to hear about the 4 million donation from hedge funds... that's definitely more interesting
If Jess doesn't want to answer this question, the Labour party should look back to how we all felt about TORY FREELOADERS! To me, this is even worse as we EXPECTLabour to be more socially aware of their actions and how the public view politicians freeloading whilst also drawing(to me) a generous salary!
SHAME!
They are legal declared and in most cases completely understandable.
This is a nothing story.
A storm in a teacup. It appears the gifts to the starmers only came to light when Sir Keir declared them. If you're a Tory it doesn't seem to matter, but it's different for other politicians (except Farage). Remember all the fuss about the Prescott family´s cars! Novbody would turn a hair to learn about the chairman if ICI´s choice of vehicle In fact I don´t recall anybody ever asking.
Politicians shouldn't accept gifts because usually something is expected in return, but typical of right wing media to go after Labour when they ignored what the Tories did
Well we are fed up with politicians with their snouts in the trough.
I think we would be better off discussing something relevant rather than pandering to right wing trolls.
I can’t stand this Labour government.
They are clueless.
I'm fed-up with Jess Philips.
Is Starmer being unethical when receiving gifts? Probably not but let's wait and see. Are the optics wrong? Yes, labour have to be seen as whiter than white, any points like this will be amplified by our right wing media for their paymasters. Starmer should just say no.
Is he being unethical? Well pretty much every other profession is banned from accepting gift because it is seen as unethical. It was also stupid. How did Labour not see this as a problem?
Starmer should say no and once and for a l l gift giving and receiving culture should go! If not, then let us accept that if it was right for the Tories (if it was declared), then it is right for Labour too! Let us not indulge in double standards here! Or are you wishing to claim that it did not happen under the Tories, but Starmer is in the wrong? Nobody needs to the whiter than white, just because they are a party that is not the Tories!
Someone who I can't remember his name said " corruption in the West is called lobbying".
All depends on how high or low on the class ladder you are .
Bottom half it’s still corruption or illegal but as we start to climb the top half it become lobbying or mistakes have been made & lessons will be learned, which usually means doing a better job of covering their tracks
Labour in government aren't very good handling interviews. It's for the interviewer to steer the subjects, not for the interviewed to answer questions they wish were asked.
It can't be that difficult for Starmer to make a charitable donation to a somewhat related cause whenever he's gifted something of value that he doesn't actually need. Why doesn't he?
Why should he need to make a charitable donation, if it is common practice for Tory and Labour politicians and PMs alike? What's perfectly acceptable for Johnson (golden wallpaper, free dinners and a whole lot besides) is also perfectly acceptable for Starmer. Do you think Johnson made a charitable donation, which you seem to suggest Starmer needs to make?
@@MrsGardiner It might not be the best idea for Labour to let Johnson define what's acceptable and what's not. The win they got was for _not_ being like Tories, after all.
The Tories were always at it, but they weren't the ones claiming moral ground.
labour motto is ...DONT DO AS WE DO ..DO AS WE SAY .......HOW HYPOCRITICAL of this corrupt labour party. ....
I wasn’t aware of Labour telling anyone not to accept football tickets or luxury clothes.
Maybe Labour shouldn’t have had those parties at number 10 while telling the public to avoid gatherings. No wait. That was the Tories.
It used to be Tory sleeve. Now it’s Labour sleeve. Same old same old.
Nice N' Sleevy does it. 😂
I watched it this morning, I was so angry I turned the BBC breakfast off, its as if Charlie State was being controlled by Tory’s.
Any gift to a politician is a bribe, we are sick of it, we are upset with that behaviour and also with the influence of foreign powers on our politics and with Labour not representing the people of this country (at least those who actually labour).
I was thinking this over a week ago. Ridiculous how long this goes on for. It's like they have nothing else to focus on. They'd rather report controversy and failure than report what positives come out of anything in the world.
It’s not the amount it’s the principle. It’s all for influence and it must be the government who decides direction not rich donors whichever party it is
What do you think the mighty Arsenal FC are likely to want back from Starmer then? I would suggest that your assumption doesn't make any sense.
All from the BBC.
BBC are controlled at the moment by the tories
Please explain why their deputy needs to spend 65 grande of taxpayers money on a photographer ?
It's a department photographer - they all have them to promote to the public what the department is doing
The thing that has to be remembered, is that Labour always has to keep their hands cleaner than the tories because the slightest hint of corruption or bias will be blown up, while for the tories excuses will be made or it’ll just be ignored and seen as a right of the ruling class. So for us on the left to be able to criticise these actions by those on the right, we have to carry none of these traits. It’s not good enough to just be doing it to a lesser extent and if anything, they should be ruling that no gifts, freebies or bribes should be accepted because what one person sees as a gift or a freebie, another may well see as a bribe…and the person/organisation doing the giving will presume that something will be more favourable for them in the future.
I appreciate what Jess Philips is saying but I’m also pretty sure that she would be amongst the first criticising if it were a story about prominent members of the parliamentary tory party accepting freebies. We have to hold ourselves accountable and aim to be beyond reproach for our actions, otherwise we’re just hypocrites.
Taking gifts of any kind is wrong. Ethics and public service standards have been well understood forever. Starmer must know this. Social justice has a chance in Britain now and Starmer is messing things up already. Stand ready Andy
The value of a "gift" is irrelevant, in fact it doesn't even have to have monetary value it can just be a favour for friendship, what is important is that it is preferential treatment.
Elected representatives are not private individuals they are supposed to represent a section of the public, they have no right to act as individuals when they are acting in a professional capacity.
Corruption is corruption. The amount of bribe does not matter. It turns out, that there is no difference between Starmer's Labour and the Tories... exactly what a lot of people already knew and said before the GE. No difference, nor with regards to corruption neither regarding Brexit. Pestilence or cholera...
It is not corruption if the donations were declared, why can't you see that? We all know about them precisely because they were declared. Nothing compares to the cronyism concerning PPE. Get a grip.
@@PatSmith-d5w You're missing the point, donations to representatives do not belong to them as individuals it belongs to their constituents.
Nothing wrong!
Britain is living on corrupt money from Russia and other dinosaurs.
@@PatSmith-d5w A donation is money, that is given to an organisation you want to support. Paying a politician expecting favours, that cost public money is bribery, not a donation It does not make a difference, if this is declared or not. Maybe Starmer is selling government support to companies or people for less money. But this does not make him a better person, it just shows, that he is more stupid.
@@mrchainanimal3637 not sure where you get donations of 'money' from, facts please? We must have a different definition of corruption, I repeat and repeat again these donations were 'items' such as Arsenal tickets and clothes, and were declared so how does that make it corruption? I suspect it's more a case that you don't like the PM and in your mind that makes it corruption.
I guess the 'small' offerings went to Boris too, but they don't get noticed when he receives free wall paper at £840 per roll...
Small? The levels of hypocrisy…
Why didn’t he do that in the first place
Then he wouldn’t need to do a stunt to cynically claim the moral high ground
We should expect more of a labour government. If they are receiving gifts off billionaires at the same time as not removing the two child benefit cap and removing the winter fuel allowance whilst not taxing wealth questions will be quite rightly asked. Let's not pretend Starmer hasn't purged the left wing of the labour party.
It's worrying that Jess Phillips dismisses concerns about Keir Starmer accepting freebies, calling it "not important at all." Accountability in leadership matters. Meanwhile, the early release of domestic abusers due to overcrowded prisons puts victims' lives at risk. Domestic abuse commissioner Nicole Jacobs has warned that these releases will lead to more violence against women, with the justice system already struggling to protect them.
Phillips should focus on preventing dangerous offenders from being released early rather than defending Starmer. If politicians can’t be transparent on smaller issues, how can we trust them to handle critical matters like public safety?
Maybe we could have a government that concentrates on governing would be nice. Being held accountable for gifts that were declared to a small amount is just preventing the govt from doing their job. He has to have a box now he is prime minister for security reasons. I wish we could just hear about our future not a pair of glasses gifted by a very good friend.
Many of us ordinary workers are prohibited from accepting gifts from clients/patients/customers. MPs are supposed to represent their constituents, not millionaires or lobbies, so there's every reason for them to accept the same prohibition
Welcome to 2024 - everyone must of been born this year as the last 14 years never happed😂
How did this lady get elected? Seriously - word salad.
Yeah yeah she was elected despite Tory gerrymandering at its best attempt. I love Jess. She knows the people she works for.
@@Nannyirene I hate the Tories as much as the next person but doesn't mean I have to listen to word salad from this idiot. She works for Starmer NOT YOU. They all do.
"She knows the people she works for." That will age well when pensioners are freezing or starving and how did she vote on that? Oh yeah for it, what about keeping children in poverty - oh yeah for it.
Starmer has been seen to be an awful man. Labour corruption. Why do you always defend Labour?
Let us start holding the media to account. First stop the BBC getting a licence fee, hold the right-wing media to account for partygate and brexit. If the media is held to account we may end up with a better journalism.
Well said Jess. At least the people aren't paying for them..
Maybe they are if this is favours owed
Love Jess Phillips ❤
She a traitor to Corbyn.
Well a little corruption and bigger corruption still corruption dude it's not if or
Just say "No" Keith.
I don't know of any other public service job that allows gifts to workers. It is against the rules to accept anything, whether it's care workers, the police or social services. IT IS CALLED A BRIBE.
Not if its declared and accepted by the governing body. Also don't forget political parties rely on donations
That was better than I expected. Well done Jess.
What a fraud. An utter fraud.
It is tedious now. I've stopped watching Politics Joe and, Novara and The NewsAgents recently, because it's all they've been banging on about. They seem to have lost sight of reporting all the things that the government is actually doing.
Just because the Tories were doing it, doesn't mean that Labour should be. I accept that in principle, a Prime Minister should be allowed to safely attend a football game, but if it is true that he needs at accept corporate box donations or hire a massive security team, then I think it's fair to say that he just shouldn't go. Is that fair on him as a private individual? No, but it's part of the job. It turns out that you don't get to do everything in life, and if you're choosing to be Prime Minister of the country, I think you should recognise that involves making some sacrifices.
Jess make things better for the poorest pensioners
Starmer is totally dishonest...!! He lied to the entire party to become leader and now takes gifts while punishing the poorest and most vulnerable...these gestures matter...
The poorest are not being punished.
Boo hoo. Poor Jess. Only has Starmer to blame.
Good evening Max and all here. Did they speak like this about the Johnson s wife curtains? I watched it this morning.
No. Stop going on about theTories did this and the Tories did that so Labour's not so bad in comparison. This is a deflection from the main point. We expect better of Labour. Jess Phillips is a case in point. She has used her position as an MP to make money. The second highest earning Labour MP outside of her MP's salary. So, of course, she's going to be one of the last Labour MPs to admonish Starmer for his conduct.
Red Tories!
Farage will sort out the British mess!
Tory lite.
@@peterebel7899 He is one of the route causes of the mess with all his brexit lies!
@@Oyou812-b1x This does not stop Brits voting him. So:
The voting Brits are the mess
Nothing less
@@peterebel7899 So you are including all those that didn't, too? Brits is not a nationality and neither is British.
Pass them on to charities, gain goodwill, simple, unless you are morphing into tory light.
When they are about to wield the knife over the collective wealth of the poorer in society while collecting freebies and not fair taxes from the super rich, this story has not been covered enough.
You don't get it do you? It's the right wing media that will keep this story running, whilst you want left wing policies, go on now think about it!
@@PatSmith-d5w Increasing council rents above inflation to fund new building, not taking on the private Water companies and making them pay ( not us) for their mess, removal of single person discounts and winter fuel allowances, not increasing wealth taxes ( no return to the 50p higher rate), HOW THE HELL DO YOU EVEN CONSIDER THEM left wing, especially as Rachel Reeves has George Osborne as her friend and advisor. Continuity Tories.
@@PatSmith-d5w What planet are you on? When Rachel Reeves takes advice from the architect of austerity, when winter fuel payments are removed, when fuel and water companies can continue to screw us, how can you call Red Tory Starmer’s party left wing.
@@PatSmith-d5w WTF, Sir Kid Starver is the leader of the Continuity Tory Party. If he has a left wing policy, it’s only by accident.
@@PatSmith-d5w What left wing policies?
Has Starmer broken any rules??
No!
@@johnsevern739 so what’s the fuss about
@JohnSmith-bx8zb There's rules and then there's the court of public opinion which doesn't like the apparent morality of it
@@johnsevern739 and the court of public opinion seemed to be quite with Sunak’s £40 million personal helicopter taxi deal funded by taxpayers money, by the way Starmer has cancelled that.
Also Badenock’s own free tickets etc.
and Jenricks reported donations from off shore sources.
More like the court of Tory opinion
@JohnSmith-bx8zb Yep....strange that eh? One might be tempted to accuse the press of bias!
Funny how companies and public service have training and rules to not allow gifts. Something needs to be done about politics and their expenses and gifts. It's not just labour, it's all the parties that need to abide by the same rules they expect other public servants to abide by.
The problem is that political parties in the UK depend on 'donations' to function. The parties are not, primarily, state funded. What is important is the declaration
This whole non story is a waste of everyones time.
Corruption is not a non story.
@@SirAntoniousBlock It is not corrupt. Starmer has followed the rules and declared all donations, unlike his predecessors. Maybe he should change the rules to cheer you up.
@@grateberk6435 Just because it's not illegal doesn't make it not corrupt.
@@SirAntoniousBlock In which case suggest to the government that the rules are changed
@@grateberk6435 Indeed, not dismiss it as a non story.
There needs to be state funds available to the PM and donations can be banned.
Eh?
State funds are already available to politicians. It's called their salary and pension. But you are correct all "gifts" to politicians should be automatically refused with the donor being added to a list of lobbyists and made public so UK citizens can see just how much of this goes on.
It's small in comparison but Starmer has stood on being anti-corrupt & yet here he is taking "favours". It might be less than the Tories .... for now but it goes to show how political power corrupts. I don't get the arguments that we should let Starmer off because the Tories were worse. We shouldn't just blindly accept the lesser of 2 evils because ultimately it's still evil.
We should let Starmer off if he does the same we let the Tories off! Making a fuss now is not treating both the same! All politicians must be treated the same. Not moralising about the lesser of two evils. If it has not been made evil (which it has not!), then be fair and treat both the same. NOT treat Starmer less favourabley and overlook the golden, shiny wallpaper retrospectively, as this is what we have come to expect from the Tories, so I will let them off! Demand equal standards! Whatever the standards are! Presents happen, it is in the culture, especially when foreign politicians come to visit, or if the local suit manufacturer wishes to see their MP dressed a bit better than he is and donates clothing. It is no worse now than it was six months ago, when nobody made a fuss. To make a fuss now, is disingenuous!
@@MrsGardiner so when do we say enough is enough & start making a fuss?
@@Serpsss NOT when the tory press insists that a fuss must be being made suddenly, now that Labour has come to power! We all agree, that it should be stopped, but to allow the Tory press to set the agenda here, is playing right into Tory hands. And whether you are a Tory or Labour makes no difference. It is hypocritical for the tory press to come out with that right now and never when the Tories were in charge. 'WE' should have stopped Johnson's wallpaper, not let that one go! And so much besides.
It's nice, isn't it. The corruption.
Get them on to the topic of their ongoing support for a genocidal apartheid regime and watch how fast they'll want to go back to talking about who fills Keiths wardrobe again
I get thats its very much a confected right eing media thing but just dont fo anything that you are not happy to defend.
No one made a big deal about Jonathan Gullis who was a teacher and he became a tory MP and by the time he was kicked out of Parliament by the voters was worth 5 million pounds , HOW???? And the rest of tory Mps
KS says our Ang, RR & KS will stop getting freebies from their donors.
Why would you say no to gifts? Starmer is transparent. I don't see the problem?
To me the ridiculous thing is that nobody finding an issue with the PM accepting freebies most people wouldn't turn down is naming a bad policy that someone's allegedly paid for. I suspect the real issue is just jealousy that its not a right wing PM getting freebies now.
it's because those who are asking the questions are nokonger giving the gifts. when you look at who gives the gifts and for how much it is pretty shameful. He claims more in gifts than any other MP. just because it's legal doesn't make it right. Kiers problem is he is led by laws not by morals.
And Amol Rajan on BBC R4 Today suggested that Starmer who has been a long time supporter of Arsenal watch the games at home rather than use the immeasurably safer option of an executive box.
Quite right too.
£100,000+ is not a small amount of money, it's the going rate for serious political influence. Greedy Starmer should pay for his own clothes and entertainment, he's paid enough. If he wasn't a greedy sneak there'd be no story, and no story for Max to make a video about.
That's over 5 years, it's not 1 donation.
Jess Phillips is an absolute fish wife.
Haha labour -
Hehe idleness.
Hoho slightly moving
Tory lite.
I am bored with talking about this when there is so much more important to discuss. Foreign policy, and the budget
Agreed
It will definitely go at least as long as the curry... And as far too