The first shared scandal between Keir and Victoria Starmer since they arrived in Downing Street has been served. The tabloids have dubbed it ‘Wardrobegate’, in reference to the clothes both he and she received as «personal gifts», which also include glasses worth 2,800 euros, four tickets to see Arsenal for 2,600 and another four tickets to a Taylor Swift concert for 4,750.
In total, Keir Starmer has received around €118,000 in gifts in the four years since he was elected Labour leader in 2020, more than any of his predecessors. Although most of the “personal gifts” have been “declared,” several Conservative MPs have taken the opportunity to call for an investigation by the parliamentary standards committee.
At the center of the controversy is Lord Waheed Alli, 59, the billionaire television producer famous for being the first gay Muslim to enter the Upper House, courtesy of Tony Blair. There, the son of Indian immigrants living in Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana, he is one of the biggest donors to the Labour Party, to which he has contributed 830,000 euros over the past twenty years (60,000 in the last year).
In exchange for your generous contribution, Baron Alli was allowed to «form a significant part of Starmer’s team during the campaign»according to the sources cited by Guardian. His work in the shadows apparently earned him a special season ticket to Downing Street, another branch of the scandal also dubbed by the tabloids as a “spectacle pass”.
The designer glasses that Starmer has worn in recent months, and which have helped boost his image, bear the stamp of Baron Alli, who also served as chief executive of the online fashion brand Asos. A further €19,000 donated by Alli helped candidate Starmer buy new clothes during the campaign.
Another €6,000 was used so that Victoria Starmer could also renew her wardrobe and also have a «personal assistant» for shopping. The first lady was spotted these days at London Fashion Week wearing a dress provided for the occasion by her favorite designer, Edeline Lee.
Conservative media have slammed ‘Lady Vic’ for her insensitivity when it comes to wearing a polka dot dress in the midst of the ‘Wardrobegate’ storm. Victoria Starmer has so far decided to keep a low profile, continuing to work part-time in the NHS and not giving a single interview.