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This article is more than 8 months old
Keir Starmer pledges to clean up politics and crack down on cronyism
This article is more than 8 months old
Exclusive: Party considering new offence of fraud against the public purse that would see jail terms of more than 10 years
Tue 2 Jan 2024 23.43 CET
People who defraud the government will face going to jail for more than a decade under plans being considered by Keir Starmer as part of a wider cleanup of British politics.
The Labour leader will pledge to restore standards in public life with “a total crackdown on cronyism” in a speech on Thursday marking the beginning of the election year.
Sources say a range of policy options are being considered as part of the cleanup plan, including tougher sentences for “fraud against the public purse”, such as the billions wasted through Covid loan schemes.
However a separate pledge to impose a five-year moratorium on former ministers from lobbying on behalf of companies over which they once had oversight is likely to be scaled back, the Guardian understands.
In a speech designed to set the tone for what is likely to be a bitterly-fought general election campaign to come, Starmer will warn that repeated public scandals risk undermining voters’ faith in politics in general.
The Labour leader is expected to say: “Trust in politics is now so low, so degraded, that nobody believes anyone can make a difference any more.
“After the sex scandals, the expenses scandals, the waste scandals, the contracts for friends – even in a crisis like the pandemic – people think we’re all just in it for ourselves.”
He will add: “To change Britain, we must change ourselves – we need to clean up politics. No more VIP fast lanes, no more kickbacks for colleagues, no more revolving doors between government and the companies they regulate.
“I will restore standards in public life with a total crackdown on cronyism.”
Keir Starmer pledges to clean up politics and crack down on cronyism
This article is more than 8 months old
Exclusive: Party considering new offence of fraud against the public purse that would see jail terms of more than 10 years
Tue 2 Jan 2024 23.43 CET
People who defraud the government will face going to jail for more than a decade under plans being considered by Keir Starmer as part of a wider cleanup of British politics.
The Labour leader will pledge to restore standards in public life with “a total crackdown on cronyism” in a speech on Thursday marking the beginning of the election year.
Sources say a range of policy options are being considered as part of the cleanup plan, including tougher sentences for “fraud against the public purse”, such as the billions wasted through Covid loan schemes.
However a separate pledge to impose a five-year moratorium on former ministers from lobbying on behalf of companies over which they once had oversight is likely to be scaled back, the Guardian understands.
In a speech designed to set the tone for what is likely to be a bitterly-fought general election campaign to come, Starmer will warn that repeated public scandals risk undermining voters’ faith in politics in general.
The Labour leader is expected to say: “Trust in politics is now so low, so degraded, that nobody believes anyone can make a difference any more.
“After the sex scandals, the expenses scandals, the waste scandals, the contracts for friends – even in a crisis like the pandemic – people think we’re all just in it for ourselves.”
He will add: “To change Britain, we must change ourselves – we need to clean up politics. No more VIP fast lanes, no more kickbacks for colleagues, no more revolving doors between government and the companies they regulate.
“I will restore standards in public life with a total crackdown on cronyism.”
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Sir Keir Starmer, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner and Chancellor Rachel Reeves will not accept any further donations for clothing after a row over gifts, a Downing Street source has said.
The prime minister has faced growing criticism after it emerged he had received more than £16,000 for work clothing and spectacles for him, and further donations for his wife, from Labour peer Waheed Alli. The Financial Times has reported that Rayner and Reeves declared thousands of pounds in work clothing from wealthy donors as general office support. The prime minister has maintained he has always followed the rules on donations. |
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The Conservatives asked Parliamentary Standards Commissioner Daniel Greenberg to investigate why gifts for a personal shopper and clothing alterations were not declared in the MPs' register, but no investigation was launched.
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The Conservatives asked Parliamentary Standards Commissioner Daniel Greenberg to investigate why gifts for a personal shopper and clothing alterations were not declared in the MPs' register, but no investigation was launched.
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Sir Keir Starmer has defended taking free football tickets and accommodation because they were important for his son.
Earlier this month, The Telegraph reported that Sir Keir repeatedly used an £18 million penthouse owned by Labour peer Lord Alli while campaigning to enter No 10. The Prime Minister has been dogged by questions about donations that he has accepted for clothing and tickets to football matches and concerts. He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “My boy, 16, was in the middle of his GCSEs. I made him a promise, a promise that he would be able to get to his school, do his exams, without being disturbed. “We have lots of journalists outside our house where we live and I’m not complaining about that, that’s fine. But if you’re a 16-year-old trying to do your GCSEs and it’s your one chance in life ... I promised him we would move somewhere, get out of the house and go somewhere where he could be peacefully studying. “Somebody then offered me accommodation where we could do that. I took that up and it was the right thing to do.” The Prime Minister also said that he had to accept free tickets to Arsenal football matches so that he could keep attending games with his son.  |
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you just know his son's a right ****
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Journalists camped outside two tiers house when he's not even there. The bloke can't lie straight.
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"We need to clean up politics. No more VIP fast lanes. No more kickbacks for colleagues. No more revolving doors between Government and the companies they regulate. I will restore standards in public life with a total crackdown on cronyism.
I’ve put expense cheat politicians in jail before and I didn’t care if they were Labour or Tory." Starmers New Year speech to his party.  |
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Look at the f**king joy Arsenal football club bring out in them.....money well spent
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GRVGpNiWcAAxqUN.jpg:large |
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Watching Starmer is like watching somebody weave his own noose.
It’s quire remarkable. |
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"Public services should be in public hands, not making profits for shareholders.
Support common ownership of rail, mail, energy and water; end outsourcing in our NHS, local government and justice system." Make football publicly owned, pick teams from a pool of players, we cannot have one team winning everything |
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Starmers "WORK FROM HOME" message during Covid
Except he filmed it at a Donor's house |
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Thread heading of the year
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"They seem to have issued passes and access and roles to Labour Party donors as if there's no tomorrow, and, be bypassing civil services impartiality rules."
Corfield, a former banker who donated £18,000 to Labour, was initially given a director role at the Treasury with a salary of at least £95,000 annually. He has since resigned and taken an unpaid position. Tinsley has been promoted to a powerful new role in the Treasury as the director of special advisers and chancellor engagement. Meanwhile, Labour peer Lord Waheed Alli, who has donated over £500,000 to the party, was granted a Downing Street pass despite not having a formal job there. |
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Starmer declared receiving £12,588 in gifts from the Premier League, including tickets for Arsenal matches totalling more than £6,000.
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Starmer’s middle name is Rodney
Aaahahahhhahahahahaaa Rodney showing what a 24 carat plonker he really is. Shut up you taaart. |
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Closely related to the Irish Ciarán, Keir is an Irish masculine name that means "dark" or “black.” Born from the Irish ciar, Keir cuts a brooding figure who finds comfort in the deeper recesses of their mind. Keir is also a Scottish last name with an additional two roots. Its Old Norse lineage lends the possible meanings “thicket” and “marsh,” while its more Celtic-leaning origins suggest the definition “ancient fortification.” Mysterious and haunting, Keir may soon find pride of place adorned on a profound work of art or gothic prose to rival Bram Stoker.
"Thicket" sounds about right. |
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So many minds lost by Labour's win.
Quite incredible scenes. |
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Tears for Kiers.
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Salty tears for the half wits, still crying...
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Here boy.
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"Starmer’s £100,000 in tickets and gifts more than any other recent party leader
Prime minister has come under fire recently for clothing, accommodation and glasses provided by Waheed Alli Starmer’s acceptance of freebies raised eyebrows after the FT reported during the election he had taken £76,000 worth of hospitality and gifts. Since then, he has declared another £4,000 in Taylor Swift tickets and £20,000 of accommodation from Alli. This was mostly provided during the election campaign but also continued one week after he had become prime minister until 13 July. Other previous major party leaders have not declared so many free tickets and hospitality." |
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All the idiots can do is deflect, but but but look at the Tories
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'Working class' lad done well. Give him a chance to dig even bigger holes.
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disgusting that the U K establishment appear to have uneducated so many humans
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Keir-ching
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/picture/2024/sep/27/sort-your-life-out-keir-starmer-the-stephen-collins-cartoon |