1 week Ago By Ben Riley-Smith
Angela Rayner has denied she broke any rules over the donated use of a New York apartment owned by the Labour peer Lord Alli. It has emerged that a fellow Labour MP, Sam Tarry, joined for parts of her stay at the apartment but was not named in the parliamentary declaration laying out details of the donation. Ms Rayner told BBC One’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg: “I followed the rules.
” The Deputy Prime Minister also rejected the idea that Lord Alli was given anything in return for the donations he gifted to her. Ms Rayner said: “I promised nothing and gave him nothing in return.” Angela Rayner said she is “angry” about some of the coverage of Sue Gray, Sir Keir Starmer’s Chief of Staff.
“Sue Gray has been doing an incredible job and she’s got a huge amount of respect amongst the Cabinet,” she said. “It angers me, as someone who has been a trade union rep in the past and who wants to bring workers’ rights, that somehow it’s OK to demonise workers in their workplace through the press and the media. “I think Sue Gray has done an exceptional job and we are all working together to achieve for the British people.
” Ms Rayner also told the BBC: “I don’t accept that Sue Gray is part of a problem at all and I don’t accept the caricature of how Number 10 is working.” Sue Gray will still be in a job by Christmas, Angela Rayner has said. Sir Keir Starmer’s Chief of Staff has been the subject of negative briefings in recent weeks, while it emerged last week she is earning £3,000 more than the Prime Minister.
Some reports have suggested Ms Gray, who will stay away from Labour’s party conference in Liverpool, is set to leave her post shortly after the annual gathering. But asked whether Ms Gray would still be in post at the end of the year, Ms Rayner, Sir Keir’s deputy, replied: “I think so, absolutely.” Bridget Phillipson has admitted receiving £14,000 from Labour donor Lord Alli that helped pay for events to mark her 40th birthday.
The Education Secretary declared two donations from Lord Alli, who is also Sir Keir Starmer’s biggest personal donor, saying they were to “host a number of events”. Speaking on Sky News, she admitted some of the cash was used to pay for a celebratory 40th birthday event held in December at the Hoare Memorial Hall, a venue which boasts “stunning views” of Westminster Abbey. It came as a row over clothing donations accepted by senior party figures including Sir Keir and Angela Rayner, his deputy, threatened to overshadow the start of Labour’s conference in Liverpool.
Gaza protesters have already begun demonstrating at the gates of Labour conference this morning as day one gets underway in Liverpool, writes Genevieve Holl-Allen . A van with the message “suspend all arms to Israel” emblazoned along both sides was being driven along the riverfront at 9:30am this morning. Groups of demonstrators holding Palestine flags and placards with messages such as “Party of Crooks” and “Stop F-35s” were at the gates of the conference zone.
Sir Keir Starmer needs to reverse his “cruel” cuts to winter fuel payments, the head of Britain’s biggest trade union has warned. Around 10 million retirees have been stripped of their winter fuel allowance this year, with the previously universal benefit now only going to those already in receipt of pension credit. Sharon Graham, the general secretary of Unite the Union, told Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips: “I think the priority that I’d like to hear from him is that he’s going to reverse the decision on the winter fuel allowance.
It’s a cruel policy. “He needs to reverse it. And I’d like him to say that he’s made a misstep and to reverse that policy.
I’d also like him to say that we’re not going to take this country down austerity mark two. “People voted for change. They need to see change.
And he needs to reverse the winter fuel allowance [decision] and let people have that £300 they can put their heating on this winter.” MPs accepting donations and gifts has been part and parcel of political life “for some time”, Angela Rayner has said. The Deputy Prime Minister told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg; “MPs have accepted donations and gifts for years, all MPs do it.
And what we’ve talked about is making sure we’re open and transparent about that. “And that’s why the Prime Minister corrected the record when he was told he needed to do that. “We want to make sure the Government are transparent.
But gifts and donations have been a factor in our political life for some time...
What Keir was saying in particular around some of the donations, including football and security, is that they shouldn’t land on taxpayers.” Angela Rayner insisted she did not break any rules over her use of a donated New York apartment by millionaire Labour backer Lord Alli. The Deputy Prime Minister told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg: “First of all I didn’t go to New York with another person.
That person went to New York and I met up with them and I met up with a number of friends while I was in New York. “It was a personal holiday and I think I followed the rules. In fact I went above that and I wanted to do that to be transparent about the connection I had in the use of that apartment.
” Ms Rayner added: “I don’t believe I broke any rules. I had the use of the apartment and I disclosed that I had the use of that apartment. “If anything I was overly transparent because I thought it was important that despite it being a personal holiday, because that person as a friend had already donated to me in the past for my deputy leadership.
..” Good morning from day one of the annual Labour Party conference here in Liverpool.
What was supposed to be a victory lap for Sir Keir Starmer’s party after its general election triumph has been overshadowed by rows over gifts, donations and Sue Gray’s pay. I will be guiding you through all of today’s developments..
