Keir Starmer investigated by standards watchdog over 'late' declarations of interests

The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards has opened an investigation into whether the Labour leader declared his interests correctly on two counts, his earnings and gifts, benefits or hospitality

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer is being investigated by Parliament’s standards watchdog over two alleged breaches of Commons rules.

The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards opened an investigation last week over potential breaches of rules on earnings and gifts. It came to light when the Commissioner’s website was updated.

Labour’s leader is being investigated to discover whether he broke two rules, both on “registration of interests”. The first covers his employment and earnings, and the second covers gifts, benefits and hospitality.

It’s thought both points relate to allegations the Labour leader made a late declaration of his interests.

Earnings from employment must be notified to Parliament within 28 days. MPs must also declare any gifts, benefit or hospitality worth over £300 within 28 days.

The Labour leader’s office has been contacted for comment.

Boris Johnson has repeatedly been investigated and found in breach of Parliament’s rules.

Further details on the case of Keir Starmer – described as ‘Mr Rules’ by ally Lisa Nandy – are not yet available because it is still under investigation.

While late declarations are not the most severe issues probed by Parliament’s standards regime, critics of the Labour leader are likely to seize on the case as he waits to hear whether he will be fined by Durham Police.

The Labour leader has said he will resign if he is fined for breaching Covid rules when he drank a beer with activists during lockdown. He maintained he was working while out on the election trail.

Boris Johnson was previously slammed by the watchdog for a string of breaches.

In 2019 the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner accused the Tory leader of “not demonstrating the leadership” expected of a top MP, adding: “I do not accept that this was an inadvertent breach of the rules.”

The Commissioner found Mr Johnson was 11 months late registering his 20% share in a property in Somerset, from which he drew a share of rental income.

The Standards Committee said it was part of a “pattern of behaviour” by Boris Johnson that showed an “over-casual attitude towards obeying the rules of the House”.

On a separate occasion, Boris Johnson apologised for declaring more than £52,000 in outside earnings late. A Commissioner investigation found he failed to register nine payments within the 28-day deadline – most of them royalties from books he has written.

Boris Johnson also broke the Ministerial Code by starting a £275,000-a-year newspaper column just three days after quitting as Foreign Secretary.

And the PM was three months late registering joint ownership of a London property in 2017.

But he was not found in breach over a £15,000 donor-funded holiday in 2019, despite a Commissioner investigation. The Commissioner also decided not to probe the lavish revamp of the Downing Street flat.