Sky News presenter Kay Burley put business and trade secretary Jonathan Reynolds in the hot seat on Thursday, challenging him over Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer’s acceptance of freebies and the high salary of his chief of staff, Sue Gray. The interview highlighted growing controversy around the gifts and hospitality Starmer has received over the past five years, totalling £107,145.
Burley kicked off by questioning the minister on Starmer’s freebies, noting that he has accepted two and a half times more than the next MP on the list. Sky News analysis shows that Starmer has declared more in gifts over the last two months than the average UK wage.
The Labour leader has justified accepting hospitality at events like Arsenal football matches, citing security reasons. Starmer explained, “I’m a massive Arsenal fan, I can’t go into the stands because of security reasons, therefore if I don’t accept a gift of hospitality, I can’t go to a game.”
Burley, however, sarcastically asked, “Do you have a violin small enough for that?” pressing Reynolds to defend the gifts. The minister responded that the transparency system in place for declaring gifts is open and essential, and argued that Starmer’s role demands intense commitment. He said, “If they’ve got the chance for a little bit of time with family or something that’s important to them, in this case, life-long support for a football team, I don’t have a problem with that.”
Reynolds further defended the hospitality accepted by Starmer, including attending concerts like Taylor Swift and Coldplay, labelling them as cultural moments.
However, Burley turned up the heat, pointing out the stark contrast between Starmer’s lifestyle and the government’s policies: “You’re very content that you’re taking £300 off pensioners while he’s freeloading with £107,000 worth of freebies?”
Reynolds dismissed the comparison, saying the issue of winter fuel payments was separate and related to the challenges left by “Tory chaos.”
The conversation then shifted to Sue Gray’s salary. Burley questioned why Starmer’s chief of staff is earning £170,000 a year, £3,000 more than the prime minister. The minister argued that pay is determined by experience and the importance of the role.
Burley pressed further, asking, “Explain to me the stunning arrogance of a member of staff who thinks they should earn more than the boss?”
Despite the grilling, Reynolds stood firm, insisting that the system for setting civil servant pay is transparent and fair. But Burley was relentless, pointing out how these high salaries and gifts could frustrate ordinary people struggling with the cost of living crisis.
“He [Starmer] said, ‘we’re all in this together’ – we’re not all in this together, are we?” Burley asked, drawing attention to the growing perception of a disconnect between Labour’s leadership and the public.
Reynolds, however, continued to deflect, blaming the previous Conservative government for the financial challenges the country faces. Despite Burley’s cutting remarks, the minister remained steadfast in defending Starmer and Labour’s decisions, even as the controversy over freebies and high salaries continues to grow.
Burley ended the exchange sharply, asking, “Are you really comfortable defending what you’ve defended this morning?” Reynolds, undeterred, confirmed that he was.
You can watch the clip below:
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