Sir Keir Starmer’s decision to accept donations to pay for clothes and glasses would be understandable if he was a woman, Carol Vorderman has said.
The former Countdown star, 63, said it was a “rookie error” for the Prime Minister to accept £32,000 from Lord Alli to pay for clothing and £2,400 to pay for glasses.
Speaking at Cheltenham Literature Festival on Thursday evening, she said: “I thought that was odd because he’s not a poor man, is he, Keir Starmer.
“I just didn’t quite understand that. I could understand it more if he was a woman, but why do you need more than one or two pairs of glasses, was he sitting on them?”
The outspoken Left-wing activist and author of Now What: On a Mission to Fix Broken Britain, added the new Government had made a number of “rookie errors”.
Vorderman said: “It’s like, come on, sort your s–t out. Do things properly, be honourable – you’re all called honourables so act in an honourable manner.”
She did add the caveat, however, that the Labour freebies row has been “minuscule” compared to the previous sleaze allegations that engulfed the Tories.
The political activist also urged the new government to “stand up, as they said they would, and say we will be absolutely squeaky clean”.
She made the comments after Sir Keir admitted last month that wealthy Labour peer Lord Alli gave him £32,000 to pay for clothing, double what he previously declared.
Sir Keir also received £2,400 from Lord Alli for glasses, and the use of an £18 million penthouse during the election campaign and on other occasions. Members of his frontbench team have also declared large donations from the peer.
The Prime Minister, Angela Rayner and Rachel Reeves have promised not to accept free clothing in the future.
Vorderman, who has been outspoken in her criticism of the Tories on social media in recent years, said that she doesn’t “quite understand” where Labour’s politics is “at the moment”.
“They’re missing so many easy points,” she added.
The TV star was also asked which politician she’d choose to be stranded on a deserted island with and named Deputy Prime Minister Ms Rayner.
She also teased that she might one day become so fed up with politicians that she may run for public office herself.
“I think we need total reform on the system, from first past the post to mandatory and proportional representation,” she said.
“Although I get so angry with everything that I sometimes think, ‘Right, should we just set up a political party?’”
