Sir Keir Starmer accepting Arsenal ticket freebies ‘not important’, says Jess Phillips

Published

10 months ago

September 20, 2024

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A government minister has said Sir Keir Starmer accepting more freebies than any other MP “is not important at all”.

Jess Phillips said she was “satisfied” with the prime minister’s explanation it would “cost the taxpayer a fortune” in security if he watched Arsenal from the stands after it emerged he has accepted thousands of pounds worth of free football tickets.

The prime minister has faced criticism after Sky News’ Westminster Accounts project revealed he had received two-and-a-half times more gifts and hospitality than any other MP, totalling £107,145, since December 2019.

He has declared £12,588 in gifts from the Premier League, including numerous tickets for Arsenal matches totalling more than £6,000.

But Ms Phillips, minister for safeguarding and violence against women and girls, told Sky News: “I don’t think it’s important at all.”

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She added: “I think you have to consider how people in the country feel about things.

“I have to say, nobody has mentioned it to me. I haven’t had a single email about it.

“I have had lots of emails about people not being able to get on a housing list.

“And so I’d really, really much rather focus on that and for Keir Starmer to focus on getting house building going.”

The government has also been embroiled in a row this week over Sir Keir’s top adviser, Sue Gray, being paid more than the prime minister.

A leak to the BBC revealed Ms Gray, who led the “partygate” inquiry into Boris Johnson’s government, is paid £170,000, which is a higher salary than the prime minister’s £167,000.

However, Ms Phillips denied it means Sir Keir does not have a handle on how things are running inside Number 10.

She said: “All I can say is from my bit of government is that it’s running quite smoothly in that we have been in government for 11 weeks and just even in the bit of work that I work in, we have changed more, put more in train than was done in 10 years [under the Conservatives].”

Ms Phillips admitted it “does seem like there is a problem with leaking” but added: “Hasn’t that always been the case?”

Sir Keir has insisted he is “completely in control” when asked why Ms Gray gets paid more than him.

Former Labour MP Harriet Harman, now a peer and co-host of Sky News’ Electoral Dysfunction podcast, said Ms Gray’s salary is “the rate for the job”.

The baroness said Ms Gray is an “incredibly able person” and added the cabinet secretary earns £200,000 while the person running Manchester City Council earns £220,000.

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Heidi Alexander says ‘fairness’ will be government’s ‘guiding principle’ when it comes to taxes at next budget

Published

11 hours ago

July 13, 2025

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Heidi Alexander says 'fairness' will be government's 'guiding principle' when it comes to taxes at next budget

Another hint that tax rises are coming in this autumn’s budget has been given by a senior minister.

Speaking to Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander was asked if Sir Keir Starmer and the rest of the cabinet had discussed hiking taxes in the wake of the government’s failed welfare reforms, which were shot down by their own MPs.

Trevor Phillips asked specifically if tax rises were discussed among the cabinet last week – including on an away day on Friday.

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Tax increases were not discussed “directly”, Ms Alexander said, but ministers were “cognisant” of the challenges facing them.

Asked what this means, Ms Alexander added: “I think your viewers would be surprised if we didn’t recognise that at the budget, the chancellor will need to look at the OBR forecast that is given to her and will make decisions in line with the fiscal rules that she has set out.

“We made a commitment in our manifesto not to be putting up taxes on people on modest incomes, working people. We have stuck to that.”

Ms Alexander said she wouldn’t comment directly on taxes and the budget at this point, adding: “So, the chancellor will set her budget. I’m not going to sit in a TV studio today and speculate on what the contents of that budget might be.

“When it comes to taxation, fairness is going to be our guiding principle.”

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Afterwards, shadow home secretary Chris Philp told Phillips: “That sounds to me like a barely disguised reference to tax rises coming in the autumn.”

He then went on to repeat the Conservative attack lines that Labour are “crashing the economy”.

Mr Philp then attacked the prime minister as “weak” for being unable to get his welfare reforms through the Commons.

Discussions about potential tax rises have come to the fore after the government had to gut its welfare reforms.

Sir Keir had wanted to change Personal Independence Payments (PIP), but a large Labour rebellion forced him to axe the changes.

With the savings from these proposed changes – around £5bn – already worked into the government’s sums, they will now need to find the money somewhere else.

The general belief is that this will take the form of tax rises, rather than spending cuts, with more money needed for military spending commitments, as well as other areas of priority for the government, such as the NHS.