The Cameron’s wore clothes paid for with Tory donor cash – and did not declare them

David Cameron and his wife Samantha wore clothes paid for with Tory donor cash – and did not declare them, according to reports in The Mirror.

The row over clothes received by Sir Keir Starmer and his wife has shown no sign of abating after it was revealed that the PM has received tens of thousands of pounds worth of clothes from the Labour peer Waheed Alli

Starmer has been under pressure for weeks over the support given by Alli, a media businessman, which also included more than £2,400 for glasses and the temporary use of a £18 million penthouse during the election campaign.

He has also been criticised for accepting tens of thousands of pounds’ worth of football and concert ticket freebies while leader of the opposition. His wife, Victoria, also received clothes as donations, as did Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, and Angela Rayner, the deputy prime minister.

Starmer, Reeves and Rayner have all since said they will no longer accept clothes while in office.

The Cameron’s

But in an intriguing twist, it has now been revealed that previous Conservative prime ministers have received similar donations – and didn’t even bother to declare it.

Speaking on the Political Currency podcast, George Osborne let slip that his former boss was involved in the same antics.

“In the case of Samantha Cameron,” the former Chancellor told Co-host Ed Balls, “I think what happened – I wasn’t directly involved in this – but the Conservative Party out of its general funds, money that had been donated to it, did provide money for the Leader of the Opposition, as he then was, and then Prime Minister to look smart and for his wife to look smart. But there was not a direct link to a donor.”

Balls added: “So donors paid into a pot, and the pot was then available, so presumably you wouldn’t have to declare the party doing that because it would be a normal party expense.”

Golf club membership

Cameron did not declare any gifts of clothes or cash towards clothing on his register of interests while Prime Minister – but he did declare other donated freebies, including £7,500 worth of free personal training sessions. He also declared honorary memberships of the Carlton Club and Ellesbrough Golf Club, private helicopter and plane travel from five different firms and two designer lamps worth £749 from lighting firm Original BTC.

During his time as Opposition leader he was also gifted at least two Fortnum and Mason’s Hampers and twelve silver goblets by named party donors – as well as borrowing a Subaru Outback over Christmas 2007, which was on loan from billionaire business man Robert Edmiston.

Jack Peat

Jack is a business and economics journalist and the founder of The London Economic (TLE). He has contributed articles to VICE, Huffington Post and Independent and is a published author. Jack read History at the University of Wales, Bangor and has a Masters in Journalism from the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne.