Sir Keir Starmer and Labour's "credibility" has been criticised as the growing scandal surrounding Lord Waheed Alli's extensive donations to the party continues to rumble on.
The Prime Minister has now been accused of "breaking electoral rule" after it emerged that he had used Lord Alli's multi-million pound Soho penthouse on multiple occasions.
In December 2021, Starmer used the £18million property to urge the public to "stay home" during the coronavirus pandemic. The apartment was also used in recent months to allow the PM's son to study for his GCSE's, as well as record a tribute message to the late Queen Elizabeth II in 2022.
However, the Prime Minister’s press secretary has assured that "no Covid rules had been broken" with the use of the flat.
Keir Starmer was branded 'outrageous' by Mike Parry over the latest revelations in the Labour freebie scandal
GB News / PA
Reacting to the developing Labour scandal, commentator Mike Parry slammed the "outrageous" donations being accepted by Starmer and his cabinet, questioning how the party's "credibility can hold together" in light of the revelations.
Parry fumed: "I'm amazed that the government hasn't fallen so far, given the amount of evidence we've now got.
"I just don't know how the credibility of the government can hold together when so much influence is being put upon them by free gifts, clothes, spectacles, accommodation, boxes at football matches, and they expect us to believe that they're not giving anything back in return to the people providing all this largesse. I think it's outrageous."
Host Dawn Neesom argued that the scandal is "only what the Tories have done before", as commentator Benjamin Butterworth highlighted that Boris Johnson's infamous "wallpaper donation" was "double the cost" of some of the gifts Labour have received.
The Prime Minister has come under fire for accepting an extensive number of gifts from Labour peer and donor Lord Waheed Alli
Reuters
Butterworth explained: "It was stripped out because it was so hideous as soon as Boris Johnson left Downing Street, so nobody got to use it. But I think this is just total codswallop.
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"A lot of people that are seeing these numbers and thinking it's something very different from what it is. Most of these things are not things you can buy.
"The director's box at Arsenal, which is much of Keir Starmer's cost, it's not something you can buy a ticket for, it's clearly invite only. He pays for a season ticket to Arsenal, but it's not for that box. So there is nothing unusual about this whatsoever."
When asked by Dawn if there is an "element of hypocrisy" from Starmer and the Labour Party, Parry agreed, highlighting Starmer's many criticisms of the Conservatives in the Commons including that they are a party of "sleaze".
Parry told GB News: "Remember it was Starmer in the Commons in the very early days as leader of the opposition, said 'all I can see here is sleaze, sleaze sleaze'.
Mike Parry and Benjamin Butterworth clashed over Labour's growing 'freebie' scandal
GB News
"He accused the Tory government of being the most sleaze-ridden governments in history - he now has inherited that same title, without a shadow of a doubt."
Offering further defence of Starmer's gifts, Butterworth claimed that political figures "need donations for clothes to be able to represent Britain effectively on the world stage".
He then suggested to Parry that if he "doesn't like" private funders, supporters or businesses donating money, would he prefer that the "taxpayer should pay for it" instead.
Parry hit back: "The leader of the opposition is not on the world stage. If your argument holds that he's got to look immaculate on the world stage, when Starmer was leader of the opposition, when he was taking money for his clothing and spectacles, was not on the world stage."
