Sir Keir Starmer, leader of the Labour Party, recently recorded a Covid-era broadcast urging the public to work from home from a luxurious penthouse owned by Labour donor Lord Waheed Alli. The £18 million penthouse served as the backdrop for Starmer’s Christmas message, which was broadcast in December 2021 as the country grappled with new Covid-19 guidelines aimed at curbing the spread of a new variant.
The broadcast, which aired on BBC One at 7pm on December 13, 2021, came just five days after the Conservative government issued new guidance recommending that people work from home whenever possible. The footage was identified as being filmed from Lord Alli’s flat by the Guido Fawkes website, as the designer shelves seen in the video had previously appeared in photos of the penthouse.
During the broadcast, viewers could see Christmas cards and a picture of Sir Keir and his family on the shelves behind him. It later emerged that Starmer had used the flat while his son was studying for his GCSE exams, with the Labour leader explaining to the BBC that he had promised his son a peaceful place to study and had been offered accommodation to fulfill that promise.
Despite the optics of the situation, Labour sources have maintained that all Covid guidelines were followed and no rules were broken during the filming of the broadcast. This incident, however, is not the first time that Starmer has faced questions about potential breaches of lockdown rules. In April 2021, he and other Labour campaigners were cleared by Durham police after an investigation into a gathering known as “beergate,” during which it was revealed that more people were present than initially claimed.
In his Christmas broadcast, Starmer urged the public to adhere to the Covid guidelines and resist the temptation to break the rules over the holiday period. He emphasized the importance of putting the national interest first and following the rules to help curb the spread of the virus. The Labour leader stated, “Let’s pull together now and do the right thing once more. At times like this, we must all put the national interest first and play by the rules.”
The controversy surrounding the broadcast comes at a time when the Labour Party is facing scrutiny over donations accepted by senior party figures. Labour MP Zarah Sultana criticized her own party for accepting donations, highlighting instances where hospitality from companies like Google and donations from entities like a Cayman Islands hedge fund had raised questions about conflicts of interest.
The Digital Services Tax, introduced in 2020, has been a point of contention within the party, with shadow business secretary Jonathan Reynolds and former shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves initially calling for an increase in the tax rate to fund tax cuts for small businesses. However, the plan was abandoned after the party accepted hospitality from tech companies.
Additionally, concerns have been raised about the influence of large donations on Labour policies, with former Labour MP Diane Abbott suggesting that political contributions are akin to buying influence within the party. These controversies have sparked debates within the Labour Party about transparency and accountability in relation to donations.
As the Labour Party navigates these challenges, it remains to be seen how the party will address concerns about potential conflicts of interest and maintain trust with the public. The issue of donations and hospitality accepted by senior Labour figures continues to be a point of contention, with calls for greater transparency and accountability within the party.
