Reform UK conference – live: Nigel Farage to give speech after Tice defends leader’s absences from parliament

Less than three months after he was elected on a promise to restore trust in politics, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is trying to shake off criticism over donations from a wealthy businessman and the hefty salary of his most senior aide.

The Labour Party leader, who won power in a landslide victory on July 4, denies impropriety over thousands of pounds (dollars) worth of clothes and eyeglasses paid for by Waheed Alli, a media entrepreneur and longtime Labour donor.

Starmer is also facing grumbling among his own employees over the salary of chief of staff Sue Gray. The BBC disclosed that she is paid 170,000 pounds ($225,000) a year — about 3,000 pounds more than the prime minister’s salary.

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Radio listeners have applauded James O’Brien for his ‘savage’ takedown of Nigel Farage.

The LBC presenter, 52, who hosts a much-lauded show on the political live debate channel every weekday, unleashed a scathing appraisal of the Reform UK leader, 60, who had been interviewed by his colleague Nick Ferrari moments earlier.

During the on-air onslaught, which O’Brien delivered while Farage was still in the same room as him, the radio presenter referenced accusations claiming the MP for Clacton had incited UK race riots this summer with his claims the Southport attacker had been known to the police.

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Sir Keir Starmer has insisted he is “completely in control” following a row within Government over his top adviser’s pay.

Disclosures that Sue Gray, the Prime Minister’s chief of staff, received a pay rise after the election which means she earns more than Sir Keir have sparked a row within Government and prompted opposition critics to demand answers about how the decision was made.

But Sir Keir would not be drawn into the row as he spoke to broadcasters before Labour’s party conference this weekend, only insisting his team was focused on his Government’s “big mandate to deliver change”.

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Speaking to BBC regional political editors, Sir Keir Starmer said that attending Arsenal games in the stand would cost money to the taxpayer as it would involve a “lot of policing”.

Asked if it was a good look for him to attend football games from a corporate area amid cost-of-living pressures, the Prime Minister replied: “I think most people will recognise that for a PM to insist that he goes in the stands where he’s got a season ticket, if that then means a lot of policing has to go in in order for me to be in the stands which in the end the taxpayer has to pay for… or I take a gift from Arsenal to say we’ll seat you elsewhere and that will sort out that problem, most people will say don’t make me pay because you want to go in the stands if Arsenal are offering you a ticket elsewhere and you can watch the match.”

Sir Keir would not be drawn into revealing if he would instead be watching from a box, as it would “reinvent the same problem we’re trying to avoid”, adding: “But yes I’m not going to be in the stands anymore.”

Sir Keir Starmer has said he is not giving up his Arsenal season ticket now he is Prime Minister, but would not be drawn into questions around his security while attending football matches.

Asked by BBC Yorkshire if he was still a season ticket holder for his football club, Sir Keir said: “Yeah of course, I’ve had a season ticket for many, many years in the stands at Arsenal.

“I’m a regular attender but now, for security reasons, I can’t go in the stands and therefore the club have made arrangements for me to watch from elsewhere, it’s as simple as that.

“I’d love in a way to be in the stands, it’s where I’ve watched I don’t know how many matches, but as you will appreciate once the security advice is you can’t do it or that it costs the taxpayer an absolute fortune to put I don’t know how many police officers in, then we had to make different arrangements and we have.”

Sir Lindsay Hoyle said he would advise MPs to take advice from Parliament’s security team and “do so safely” if they asked him for advice on holding surgeries.

Following Nigel Farage’s claim that he had been advised not to hold in-person surgeries by the Speaker’s Office, the Commons Speaker said: “As a constituency MP in Chorley, I hold regular surgeries myself with constituents – and whenever a Member asks for my advice on this matter, I always say that if you are going to hold constituency surgeries make sure you take advice from the Parliamentary Security Department – and do so safely.”

A House of Commons spokesperson said: “The ability for MPs to perform their parliamentary duties safely, both on and off the estate, is fundamental to our democracy.

“The Parliamentary Security Department (PSD), working closely with the police, offer all MPs a range of security measures for those with offices or surgeries in their constituencies – helping to ensure a safe working environment.

“We do not comment on individual MPs’ security arrangements or advice because we would not wish to compromise the safety of MPs, parliamentary staff or members of the public, but these are kept under continuous review.”

The Speaker’s Office and Parliament’s security team have no recollection of telling Nigel Farage that he should not hold in-person surgeries in his constituency, the PA news agency understands.

Sources said neither would have advised any MP not to hold a surgery because this would interfere with their democratic duties, but would instead have offered security advice on how measures could be taken to ensure their safety.

There is no record of such advice ever having been given to Mr Farage, it is understood, in contrast to his claim earlier on Thursday that he had been told by the Speaker’s Office not to hold physical surgeries.

Nigel Farage has said he is not holding in-person surgeries in his constituency over fears the public will “flow through the door with knives in their pockets”.

The Reform UK leader said he had been advised not to accommodate the “old-style” physical meetings between MPs and their constituents in his seat of Clacton.

The politician has repeatedly been accused of not prioritising his Commons role, coming under fire for spending time in the US endorsing Donald Trump’s presidential campaign following the 4 July election.

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Reform UK’s annual conference, taking place in Birmingham this weekend, “marks the coming of age” of the party, Nigel Farage has claimed.

Reform, which now claims to have more than 70,000 members, has said this year is its largest ever conference with ticket sales more than four times last year’s figures.

Reform UK’s five MPs will each address the conference stage, leading up to a keynote speech by Mr Farage at 4pm which will see him issue a “clarion call for change”.