Sir Keir Starmer accepted £20k accommodation freebie so his son could study for GCSEs

Sir Keir Starmer under scrutiny for accepting £20k accommodation

Sir Keir Starmer accepted a £20,000 accommodation freebie from long-term party donor Lord Alli so his son could study for his GCSEs, sparking controversy.

Defending the decision

The Prime Minister defended his use of the luxury home, citing the need to provide his son with a quiet place to study away from media attention during the general election campaign.

He explained to the BBC that he had promised his son a suitable study environment, and the offered accommodation was the right solution.

Challenges and questions raised

Former Cabinet minister Esther McVey pointed out discrepancies in the timing of Sir Keir's stay, questioning the alignment of the accommodation dates with the exam period.

The Tories have also raised concerns about Sir Keir's use of Lord Alli's Central London Covent Garden pad for political activities, such as filming political broadcasts and tributes.

Call for transparency

A Tory spokesman called on Sir Keir to explain why he did not declare the use of the accommodation for political purposes and questioned the honesty of presenting the property as his own.

No lockdown rules broken

No10 clarified that Sir Keir did not violate any lockdown regulations by utilizing the flat for his son's study purposes.