Following lawmaker Rosie Duffield’s departure from the Labour Party on Saturday, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s new government was left reeling from its first resignation. Duffield accused Starmer of “hypocrisy” regarding his acceptance of free gifts.
Duffield attacked Starmer for adopting “cruel and unnecessary” measures in a scathing resignation letter.
“The sleaze, nepotism and apparent avarice are off the scale,” she wrote, after it emerged earlier this month that Starmer had accepted more than o100,000 in gifts and hospitality while cutting an annual o300 winter heating payment to some 10 million pensioners.
“I am so ashamed of what you and your inner circle have done to tarnish and humiliate our once proud party.”
Duffield described as “staggering” the “hypocrisy” of a leader advising others to tighten their belts while enjoying free outings and fine attire.
She also criticized the prime minister for keeping a ceiling on a payment meant to help low-income families.
“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 those people can grasp — this is entirely undeserving of holding the title of Labour Prime Minister,” she wrote.
“Guided by my core Labour values,” Duffield declared that she will serve as an independent member of parliament in the future.
The party’s first conference since returning to power was already clouded by the controversy over the free gifts from wealthy donors.
After 14 years in opposition, Labour won a huge victory in July’s election. The Conservatives lost.
Nevertheless, at the conference earlier this week, ministers were caught off guard and faced criticism from the unions, who would ordinarily be on their side.
