Downing Avenue has stated Sir Keir Starmer didn’t break any guidelines when he used Lord Alli’s London penthouse to file a COVID-era broadcast urging folks to “work from home”.
The prime minister revealed on Wednesday he used the millionaire Labour peer’s house, estimated to be value £18m, for his son to review for his GCSEs this summer time so he may accomplish that undisturbed throughout the election marketing campaign.
Sir Keir declared the usage of Lord Alli’s penthouse as being value £20,437.28 from 28 Might to 13 July, though questions stay about why he continued to make use of it after exams completed on 19 June.
A Downing Avenue spokesman stated no guidelines have been damaged.
The Tory authorities had introduced new steering 5 days earlier than, asking folks to work at home the place attainable to restrict the unfold of the Omicron variant.
Behind Sir Keir have been footage of his household and Christmas playing cards, nevertheless, the identical shelving had beforehand appeared in a video from inside Lord Alli’s flat.
Within the video, he stated: “At occasions like this, we should all put the nationwide curiosity first and play by the foundations.
“Of course, I understand that sticking to the rules can be inconvenient.
“Getting jabbed, carrying masks and dealing from house in case you can will actually assist forestall infections and assist forestall the NHS being overwhelmed.”
Picture:
Lord Alli at an occasion at London’s Hilton Park Lane in 2015. Pic: PA
The prime minister stated he had made a pledge to his spouse, son and daughter that he would “protect them”.
Please use Chrome browser for a extra accessible video participant
1:47
PM defends £20k donation from Lord Alli
Sir Keir informed political editor Beth Rigby that when the election was referred to as forward of the examination interval, it meant there have been “a lot of journalists” and in addition protesters “outside my front door”.
At this level he informed his son, who’s 16, he would discover someplace he may “just study and get to school and back without having to go through all of that”.
👉 Faucet right here to observe Politics at Jack and Sam’s wherever you get your podcasts 👈
Spreaker
This content material is offered by Spreaker, which can be utilizing cookies and different applied sciences.
To indicate you this content material, we want your permission to make use of cookies.
You should utilize the buttons beneath to amend your preferences to allow Spreaker cookies or to permit these cookies simply as soon as.
You may change your settings at any time by way of the Privateness Choices.
Sadly we’ve been unable to confirm you probably have consented to Spreaker cookies.
To view this content material you should utilize the button beneath to permit Spreaker cookies for this session solely.
Allow Cookies
Enable Cookies As soon as
Sir Keir stated it was after this that “someone” supplied to make a flat “available” for his son – however claimed “no money exchanged hands”.
“I wasn’t going to let my son fail or not do well in his GCSEs because of journalists outside the front door,” the father-of-two added.
