Minister grilled on TV over PM's free Arsenal tickets while slashing winter fuel help - 'I worry'

A minister has admitted she "worries about how things look" after it emerged Keir Starmer has enjoyed thousands of pounds worth of free football tickets while slashing winter fuel allowance for pensioners.

Jess Phillips said she was "satisfied" with the PM's explanation that he cannot watch his beloved Arsenal in the stands so sits in corporate seats because of security reasons. But the Home Office minister admitted she "always" worries about how things look because she wants the public to see the government as "working to try to make things better" for them.

Ms Phillips defended Mr Starmer and said he has "lived entirely by the rules" after it was reported he received £107,145 in ticket and gifts, benefits and hospitality since becoming Labour Party leader. But asked if she was concerned how it looks at a time when the government was scrapping the winter fuel allowance for millions of pensioners, she said: "Of course, I always worry about how everything looks."

READ MORE: Cabinet Minister defends Keir Starmer accepting freebies and gifts - 'no objection'

She continued: "Those two things are completely separate things and had he never been to watch the Arsenal there would still be a £22billion black hole that had to be paid for. But of course I worry about how things look and I want people to feel like the government is having to make some very, very difficult decisions but fundamentally is working to try to make things better. All I can say is I'm absolutely knackered trying to make things better."

Ms Phillips later said people gifted politicians things like free theatre tickets because they want them to be spotted supporting their shows. She said any politician who said they hadn't been invited and gone to their local theatre to watch something was "lying".

Mr Starmer has received more lavish gifts and hospitality than any other MP since December 2019. It includes thousands on football tickets, including £6,000 on tickets for Arsenal matches, glasses and clothes, and £4,000 on Taylor Swift tickets during the General Election campaign. Earlier this week the PM was also dragged into a row after it emerged Labour donor Lord Alli had paid for outfits for his wife Victoria, which weren’t declared within the 28 day time limit.

Defending his decision to accept corporate hospitality, the PM on Thursday said he cannot go in the stands at Arsenal for security reasons. Mr Starmer, who has been an Arsenal season ticket holder for years, added: "The club have made arrangements for me to watch from elsewhere, it's as simple as that."

But amid the row over freebies, Dame Harriet Harman, a former Labour acting leader, told Sky News that doubling down was making things worse. She said: "You can either double down on it and try and justify it or you can just say it was probably a misstep, if I had my time again I wouldn't do it and therefore I'm going to auction for charity or something.

"It's not a hanging offence, but I think doubling down and trying to justify it is making things worse. He's not a sort of money-focused, greedy type person. He is a person of public service. So this is slightly out of line. And he'll be wanting to deal with it."

Mr Starmer has also been battling a row over reports his chief of staff Sue Gray is paid more than him. She reportedly asked for and was given a salary of £170,000. She was allegedly warned that her salary being more than the PM's could make news, but she declined to have it reduced. No10 have slapped down the claims.

Ms Phillips hit back at the reports but admitted "there does seem to be a problem with leaking" inside Downing Street. Talking about the negative briefings about Ms Gray, she said: "I can't say why somebody would do that. I'd much rather people just cracked on with their jobs. When I interact with No10... with Sue Gray, with the Prime Minister or with anyone else in No10, all they're ever talking about is: 'How are we going to deliver this? What is the timeframe on this? When are we going to do this?'

"Specifically against violence against women and girls, I feel like they're breathing down my neck a lot of the time - which I welcome. I don't know why somebody would do that and I wish actually the reality of the way I deal with No10 was what people saw."

She said the Government is functioning well but "there does seem to be a problem with leaking", adding: "Isn't that always the case? People leak from Government departments. Hasn't that always been the case? I'd wish they wouldn't."

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