Freebiegate explodes again as Keir Starmer's wife accepts three-figure Ascot tickets

Keir Starmer's wife has accepted free tickets to Royal Ascot worth hundreds of pounds last month, just a year after the pair were embroiled in a scandal about free gifts. Last October the PM was forced to pay back over £6,000 worth of gifts and hospitality after public anger exploded over 'freebiegate', in which both he and his wife had accepted freebies from wealthy donors.

Among the gifts were a personal shopper, clothes and alterations for his wife Victoria from Lord Alli. Today No. 10 is under fire yet again after the PM's register of interests revealed Lady Victoria pocketed £650 worth of tickets for her and two family members to attend Ascot Racecourse. Sir Keir did not attend the race, as it clashed with preparing to meet President Trump in Scotland.

Last September Sir Keir was forced to deny being the "king of freebies" as anger grew.

The row was compounded by major cuts announced by Rachel Reeves contrasting with the luxurious lifestyle of government ministers.

Among the gifts received by Sir Keir were almost £40,000 in football tickets since December 2019, however he claimed he could no longer watch from the stands with his season ticket due to security concerns.

This afternoon a Tory source accused the Prime Minister and his wife of "blatant hypocrisy".

They told the Express: "The Starmer freebie roadshow apparently knows no ends.

"Just months after the Prime Minister was forced to hand back thousands in hand outs it seems Victoria Starmer is back on the gravy train.

"With Keir being all too happy to point the finger in opposition, it's just more blatant hypocrisy from Labour."

Last September, Parliament's standards watchdog said it would not be investigating whether the Prime Minister broke rules by not declaring the free clothes given by Lord Alli to his wife.

The Tories demanded that Daniel Greenberg, the Commons standards tsar, investigate why the personal shopper had not initially been declared.

According to a poll taken in the midst of Freebiegate, just 8% of voters said they thought it was acceptable for politicians to receive free hospitality.

He paid back around £6,000-worth of free gifts after caving into public fury, including six tickets to a Taylor Swift concert, four tickets to Doncaster race course and cash for clothing from a luxury designers.

He acknowledged the need for clearer guidelines around gifts and hospitality, which he plans to incorporate into an updated ministerial code.

However Labour were hammered for hypocrisy after spending years attacking Rishi Sunak and his wife's lifestyle.

A Labour source hit back: "Own goal from the Tories by reminding everyone their Prime Minister recused himself from policymaking when questions were asked about his family benefitting from taxpayer cash.

"This is a complete false equivalence. A private family trip out with friends was declared in the name of total transparency."