MPs accepting freebies while out of power ‘different’, minister claims

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/keir-starmer-freebies-sarah-jones-b2623156.html

Posted by GeoWa

17 Comments

  1. denyer-no1-fan on

    >Industry minister Sarah Jones suggested Sir Keir and other Labour frontbenchers took free tickets to concerts and festivals while in opposition to “build relationships” with businesses.

    Don’t they mean “to be bribed by businesses”?

    >She said Lord Alli was also involved in Labour’s 1997 general election campaign, insisting the party was “very grateful” for his donations but that he “is not influencing any policy at all”.

    So he is a big Blairite, and Starmer has noticeably shifted rightward after his leadership campaign, around the time when Waheed Alli began to bankroll the whole Starmer project. Is she sure that he has zero influence on Labour’s policy platform?

  2. CriticalBath2367 on

    So erm, who’s running the country now – Labour/Starmer or Waheed Alli & his wallet?

  3. long-the-short on

    The excuses are poor and it’s frustrating that labour has allowed this to happen. You’d be on best behavior.

    Not that it’s ok but this is quite clearly a desperate grab like a kid ‘ but but but’.

    If we scaled up the scandals to Boris alone it would still be on the news, but it isn’t.

  4. So mps get given gifts from companys not forgetting various members that have certain public political stances and it’s ok?

    Isnt it just legal bribery?
    Am I missing something or can someone explain it to me

  5. Top_Economist8182 on

    It’s literally buttering up the future government in power. If they weren’t going to win they probably wouldn’t have received shit.

  6. Disastrous_Fruit1525 on

    so Boris couldn’t have gold wallpaper because he was PM, but starmer could have all the free shit he liked? I can’t wait till we get a Tory government again, Labour’s cries of Tory corruption will sound so hollow.

  7. An independent pay review board chooses their pay, so any gifts need to be deducted from that. Also, the value of these gifts has to be independently assessed.

  8. Does anyone think its appropriate for politicians of ANY party to accept “freebies” for favours whilst making it either illegal or taxable for a anyone else?

    Should they not ALL be subject to the same rules as civil servants, police, councillors, or any other paid public servant?

  9. Agile_Carpenter_2265 on

    In Ireland we limited donations severely and they all have to be registered. Who is surprised that anyone takes bribes.

  10. Empty_Substance_8591 on

    Bet she doesn’t see it that way when the remaining tory MPs carry on lining their pockets now they’re out of power.

  11. faconsandwich on

    I wish they’d stop calling it sleaze, it’s bribery and corruption. It’s the same bollocks used to somehow make out that ex pats aren’t immigrants.

  12. “MP’s accepting freebies whilst out of power ‘different” -Industry Minister Sarah Jones.

    Sarah, sometimes it’s better not to say anything.

  13. youdoyoufella on

    Insisting it’s different is like a murderer insisting he didn’t kill a guy for money because he was paid up front.