Labour MP Rosie Duffield has quit the party over the freebies scandal, accusing Keir Starmer of presiding over “sleaze, nepotism and apparent avarice” that is “off the scale”. The Telegraph has more.
Resigning her position, Rosie Duffield, the MP for Canterbury, told Sir Keir that she was “ashamed” of what he and his “inner circle” had done to “tarnish and humiliate our once proud party”.
She declared that he was unfit for office after “inexplicably” choosing to accept designer suits while at the same time pursuing “cruel and unnecessary” policies.
The dramatic resignation sent Downing Street into turmoil on Saturday night and came as Sir Keir faced mounting pressure from within his own party to get a grip on the donations crisis.
In her resignation letter to the Prime Minister, Ms. Duffield said: “Someone with far above average wealth choosing to keep the Conservatives’ two-child limit to benefit payments which entrenches children in poverty, while inexplicably accepting expensive personal gifts of designer suits and glasses costing more than most of these people can grasp – this is entirely undeserving of holding the title of Labour Prime Minister.
“Forcing a vote [on the winter fuel payment] to make many older people iller and colder while you and your favourite colleagues enjoy free family trips to events most people would have to save hard for – why are you not showing even the slightest bit of embarrassment?”
Ms. Duffield, 53, has been a consistent critic of the party over its approach to transgender issues and has not attended previous party conferences over the issue.
She has become the fastest MP to jump ship after a general election in modern political history.
It came after Sir Keir admitted on Friday that 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.
On Saturday night, a frontbench source warned that Downing Street needed to change course, saying “it is getting to the point where it might be terminal”.
“If you are constantly explaining, you are losing. It looks like you are doing something dodgy,” they told the Telegraph. “Keir needs to be absolutely straight and he needs to draw a line under it.”
Worth reading in full.
Watch Rosie explain her decision to the Times.
Stop Press: Daily Sceptic reader Roger Tilbury has composed a special meme for Free Gear Keir:
Ooh suits you Sir.
Ooh, suits you sir SIR!
Ooh does sir sir like it?
A freebie sir?
We like a freebie sir, especially down behind Waterloo.
The glasses – suits you sir.
Do you like them sir? The specs?
And the motes? Can you see the beams sir?
And the football sir?
Do you like it too?
Going up the Arsenal sir?
And the QPR an’ all sir?
And a Penthouse sir? Do you like it?
A nice spread with a huge balcony. Oooh.
Suits you sir.
Does she like it sir?
Your lady sir?
Or is she a sir lady?
Is she a Swiftie sir?
Or a Quickie?
Do you like a Quickie sir?
Down behind Waterloo?
Do you like to free the sausages?
Do you sir? Do you?
Or do you like to be in control?
When you get into a state?
Ooh, suits you sir.
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