For a PM who promised ‘change’, how much of what Sir Keir Starmer promised was rhetoric?
Sir Keir Starmer campaigned in the general election about being a politician who would do things differently and lead a government of service.
His was a message of change not just about how he would run the country, but also about how he would lead the government change. It was billed not just as a change of power from one party to another but as a change of culture too.
If the polls are anything to go by, that message has been blunted and his reputation tarnished in the early days of his government over the row around Sir Keir’s freebies. In the last parliament, Sir Keir claimed more freebies – £107,145 – than any other politician.
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The handouts ranged from clothing (£16,200) to football freebies (more than £35,000), concert tickets, rugby matches and the races (£17,000).
He has also just declared £20,000 in accommodation during the election, borrowing a rich donor’s multi-million penthouse so his son could study for his GCSEs away from the media scrums around the Starmer’s family home in Kentish Town in London.
New polling put out by YouGov on Wednesday found that three out of four people thought donations of concert tickets and money for clothes to politicians should be banned.
Meanwhile, in the early days of the government, the PM’s personal popularity ratings have fallen sharply.
A fresh survey by Opinium reveals that the prime minister’s approval rating has dropped 45 points to -26 since he became the country’s leader. It now makes him – by a point – less popular than his predecessor Rishi Sunak.
There are undoubtedly a number of factors playing into Sir Keir’s drop in popularity – not least his decision to scrap the winter fuel allowance for pensioners.
But talk to colleagues around him, and the row over freebies has caused some consternation. At best, it has pulled the government off message and on to the back foot – at worst, it has become a personal problem for a prime minister who promised to do things differently, and now is having the charge levelled against him that he’s like those who went before, taking freebies from rich friends.
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PM defends £20k donation from Lord Alli
Sir Keir might find that uncomfortable, or vehemently disagree with it, but can he understand that while he is following all the rules, the perception, the optics of claiming all these freebies while asking people to take the pain of difficult choices is an issue for him and his government?
In our interview, it was evident that if the prime minister saw the tensions between his promises about how he would conduct politics and claiming sizeable freebies, he did not want to acknowledge that in an interview that was far tenser than I had anticipated and in which, at times, he seemed palpably angry.
The prime minister made the point that the claims were in the rules and that “behind some of those numbers, there is a human story”.
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He explained how he has to now sit in corporate hospitality when he watches his beloved Arsenal with his son because of security reasons and does not want to cost the taxpayer more money by sitting in his usual seat in the stands.
And when it comes to the £20,000 accommodation he claimed in the election, the prime minister has a very clear answer: he did it to protect his son, who was studying for his GCSEs at the time and needed a peaceful place to study where he did not have to run the gauntlet of journalists hanging outside the house.
Many of you will think these are reasonable explanations, some of you will not.
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Sir Keir is a regular at Arsenal home and away matches. Pic: Reuters
But what is incontrovertible is the volume of freebies Sir Keir has claimed.
When I asked him about clothing, he said he would no longer accept donations. When I asked him about concert tickets – Taylor Swift, Adele, Coldplay – he indicated he might still go, saying it was a matter of judgement.
In short, the prime minister point-blank refused to engage in questions around the optics of his claims and how they might undermine his political messaging and personal reputation with the public.
Does it matter? One of the charges brought against Sir Keir during the election by political opponents was he was a politician who said one thing and did another.
The Conservatives campaigned hard on the notion that he would say no tax rises for working people and then put up taxes – we will see what he does in the budget.
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And there were those on his own side who lost trust in him after he campaigned on a left-wing agenda to become leader only to move away from that once he had won.
Whether he likes it or not, thinks it’s fair or not, will admit it or not, the row over freebies has raised questions about how much of that “change” was rhetoric and how much is real?
Nigel Farage has told Sky News he “can’t be pushed or bullied” by anybody after Elon Musk said the Reform MP “doesn’t have what it takes” to lead his party.
In an interview with Sky’s political correspondent Ali Fortescue, Mr Farage said he has spoken with the billionaire owner of X since his criticism on 5 January, when Mr Musk said: “The Reform Party needs a new leader. Farage doesn’t have what it takes.”
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Asked if the pair are still friends, Mr Farage said: “Of course we’re friends. He just says what he thinks at any moment in time.”
He added he has “been in touch” with Mr Musk, though wouldn’t divulge what they had discussed.
“Look, he said lots of supportive things. He said one thing that wasn’t supportive. I mean, that’s just the way it is,” Mr Farage said.
Musk and Farage met in December. Pic: PA
Asked if he was afraid to criticise the tech mogul, the Clacton MP said the situation was “the opposite”, and he openly disagreed with Mr Musk on his views on far-right activist Tommy Robinson.
Mr Farage said: “What he [Musk] was saying online was that effectively Tommy Robinson was a political prisoner and I wouldn’t go along with that.
“If I had gone along with that, he wouldn’t have put out a tweet that was against me.
“By the way, you know, I can’t be pushed or bullied or made to change by anybody.
“I stick to what I believe.”
Mr Musk has endorsed Robinson and claimed he was “telling the truth” about grooming gangs, writing on X: “Free Tommy Robinson”.
But Mr Farage said that Robinson, who is serving an 18-month jail term for contempt of court, isn’t welcome in Reform UK and neither are his supporters.
He said: “If people within Reform think Tommy Robinson should be a member of Reform and play a central role in Reform, that disagreement is absolutely fundamental.
“I’ve never wanted to work with people who were active in the BNP. I’ve made that clear right throughout the last decade of my on/off political career. So that’s what the point of difference is.”
Despite their disagreement, Mr Farage said he is confident Mr Musk will continue to support Reform and “may well” still give money to it.
The entrepreneur has previously spoken positively about Reform UK and there have been suggestions he could make a multi-million-pound donation in its favour.
Devolution plans ‘denial of democracy’
Mr Farage was speaking from Reform’s South East of England Conference, one of a series of regional events aimed at building up the party’s support base.
Elsewhere in the interview, he hit out at the Labour government’s devolution plans which could see some local elections scheduled for May postponed.
This would apply when councils seek permission to reorganise, so that smaller district authorities merge with other nearby ones to give them more sway over their area.
Mr Farage, who is hoping to make gains in the spring contests, claimed the plans are not about devolution but about “elections being cancelled”.
“I thought only dictators cancelled elections. This is unbelievable and devolution or a change to local government structures is being used as an excuse,” he said.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage earlier this month. Pic: PA
He claimed Tory-controlled councils are “grabbing it like it’s a life belt”, because they fear losing seats to Reform.
“It’s an absolute denial of democracy,” he added.
Mr Farage was also asked why many Reform members don’t like to speak on camera about why they support his party.
He said he did not accept there was a toxicity associated with Reform and claimed there was “institutional bias against anybody that isn’t left of centre”.
Specialist search teams, police dogs and divers have been dispatched to find two sisters who vanished in Aberdeen three days ago.
Eliza and Henrietta Huszti, both 32, were last seen on CCTV in the city’s Market Street at Victoria Bridge at about 2.12am on Tuesday.
The siblings were captured crossing the bridge and turning right onto a footpath next to the River Dee in the direction of Aberdeen Boat Club.
Henrietta Huszti. Pic: Police Scotland
Eliza Huszti. Pic: Police Scotland
Police Scotland has launched a major search and said it is carrying out “extensive inquires” in an effort to find the women.
Chief Inspector Darren Bruce said: “Local officers, led by specialist search advisors, are being assisted by resources including police dogs and our marine unit.”
Aberdeenshire Drone Services told Sky News it has offered to help in the search and is waiting to hear back from Police Scotland.
CCTV of the sisters. Pic: Police Scotland
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The sisters, from Aberdeen city centre, are described as slim with long brown hair.
Police said the Torry side of Victoria Bridge where the sisters were last seen contains many commercial and industrial units, with searches taking place in the vicinity.
The force urged businesses in and around the South Esplanade and Menzies Road area to review CCTV footage recorded in the early hours of Tuesday in case it captured anything of significance.
Drivers with relevant dashcam footage are also urged to come forward.
CI Bruce added: “We are continuing to speak to people who know Eliza and Henrietta and we urge anyone who has seen them or who has any information regarding their whereabouts to please contact 101.”
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