Starmer, who withheld details of anti-Corbyn donors until after the close of the Labour leadership election, is being investigated by the parliamentary standards commissioner under two sections of the rules for registering donations
Labour leader Keir Starmer is under investigation by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards over potential breaches of parliamentary rules on earnings and other benefits.
Starmer is in the Commissioner’s spotlight in relation to paragraphs 14 of the rules requiring the registration of MPs’ ‘interests’ and being ‘open and frank’ in official declarations of cash and other benefits received. Specifically, the investigation is looking at ‘registration under Category 1’ of the rules, which refers to outside employment and earnings – and ‘Registration under Category 3’, which covers gifts, benefits and hospitality from UK entities. Only two other MPs are currently under investigation.
Starmer has form for being less than forthcoming about donations received, despite his frequent claims of ‘integrity’. During the Labour leadership contest, he was the only candidate to keep back details of who was funding his campaign – until after the election was over, when it was revealed that he had received almost half a million pounds from anti-Corbyn donors. Starmer refused to name his donors during the campaign in an excruciating TV interview with Andrew Neil, hiding behind the process while protesting that it was wrong to say he was hiding behind the process. Whether the Commissioner will find against him relating to parliamentary declarations is, of course, an open matter until the investigation concludes.
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