Wife Received Clothes Worth 9 Million Won... UK Prime Minister Faces Delay in Reporting Controversy

Starmer UK Prime Minister Faces Delay in Reporting Clothing Gifts Controversy
Labour Party Senator Donated Clothing Worth 8.7 Million KRW
Many Free Football Tickets Also Given... "No Rule Violations"

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has sparked controversy for allegedly delaying the declaration of clothing gifts received from a Labour Party peer. On the 18th (local time), The Times reported that "around early July, before and after the general election, Lord Wahid Ali supported clothing and alteration costs for the Prime Minister's wife, Lady Victoria." As a Member of Parliament, Prime Minister Starmer is obligated to report any gifts to the parliamentary authorities within 28 days. However, the Prime Minister's office initially did not report the gifts received from Lord Ali and only contacted Parliament last week to declare them.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer of the United Kingdom and Lady Victoria.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

The clothing supported by Lord Ali for Lady Victoria is estimated to be worth around ?5,000 (approximately 8.7 million KRW). Following this report, the main opposition party, the Conservative Party, demanded that parliamentary authorities investigate "why Prime Minister Starmer did not report the gifts immediately upon receipt." In response, Starmer's office stated that "there was no breach of regulations and no investigation by the authorities will take place." Additionally, on the 16th, Prime Minister Starmer explained, "Our team sought advice from the authorities on what needed to be declared right after the election. We recently sought further advice, and as a result, the declaration was made."

Since becoming the Labour Party leader, Starmer has declared gifts and donations totaling ?100,000 (approximately 175 million KRW). He has received free tickets about 40 times, mostly for football matches, including concert tickets for pop stars Taylor Swift and Coldplay. Regarding this, Starmer claimed, "I am an Arsenal fan, but due to security issues, I cannot go to the stands," and added, "I need to receive donations to be able to attend the stadium." He also emphasized, "There is a huge difference between declaration and corruption," and stated, "All MPs receive gifts, and the rule is that gifts above a certain value must be declared. This is the proper system."

According to the records, Lord Ali supported Prime Minister Starmer with clothing worth ?12,000 (approximately 21 million KRW), glasses worth ?2,400 (approximately 4.2 million KRW), and accommodation worth ?20,000 (approximately 35 million KRW). Lord Ali, a former media company executive, has increased his influence by donating to key Labour Party figures. Last month, controversy arose when it was revealed that despite holding no official position in the Labour government, he received a temporary security pass to the Prime Minister's office.