BBC and The Guardian Reports on the 2nd
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer repaid more than ?60 million (approximately 10.5 million KRW) after controversy arose over receiving gifts and favors, BBC and The Guardian reported on the 2nd (local time).
A spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office stated that Prime Minister Starmer ordered a revision of the ministerial code, including new regulations on gifts and favors, and paid for some of the gifts previously reported to the relevant authorities. This included four Taylor Swift concert tickets worth a total of ?2,800 (4.91 million KRW) received from Universal Music, and two Swift concert tickets worth ?598 (1.06 million KRW) from the Football Association (FA), which owns Wembley Stadium.
Also included was ?839 (1.47 million KRW) for clothing rental from designer Edeline Lee. Although the specific clothing was not disclosed in detail, British media pointed out that Starmer’s wife, Victoria, recently wore this designer’s clothes to London Fashion Week. During his visit to Brussels, Belgium, Starmer told reporters, "Until now, politicians had to judge each case individually, so we intend to establish principles regarding donations," adding, "Until then, I judged that repaying in this way was the right thing to do."
In the UK, it is not considered a violation of regulations in principle if a Member of Parliament reports gifts received from donors to parliamentary authorities within a certain period. However, as it was revealed that Prime Minister Starmer and key cabinet members had received high-priced clothing, tickets, and accommodation favors over several years, social controversy grew, becoming a political and moral burden for the newly formed Labour government.
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