Questions over the £20,000 donation received by Sir Keir Starmer so his son could avoid baying paparazzi during the general election have been raised by people on social media as furore over the alleged hand-out ramps up.
The prime minister’s register of interests shows a declaration for accommodation provided by Lord Waheed Alli to the value of £20,437.28 from 29 May to 13 July this year.
Sir Keir said in a Sky News interview that he had “promised” his 16-year-old son he could get to his school and sit his exams without being disturbed, hence why he took up the offer.
But no cash has ever changed hands.
The flat used by Starmer’s son is owned by a party donor, and the figure in question is simply a market equivalent that is required for the register.
Several people have raised concerns over the “manipulative phrasing” of the reports, with Sam Rushworth, the Labour MP for Bishop Auckland, making the point that the PM is not “taking a £20,000 donation”.
Others described the reports as “straightforward misinformation” and have called for journalists to correct their reports.