Lammy Defends ‘Young’ Labour Amid Sleaze Claims and Staff Resignations

David Lammy stands up for a 'youthful' Labour administration amidst survey findings that many view them as corrupt. Sir Keir Starmer’s principal aide stepped down on Sunday following prolonged disputes concerning gifts received by officials.

Political correspondent @alixculbertson

Monday, October 7, 2024, 12:

David Lammy described the government as "inexperienced" following the resignation of Sir Keir Starmer's chief of staff, Sue Gray, and a recent survey indicating that the majority of the public perceives the government as "corrupt."

The foreign secretary praised Ms. Gray as an "excellent government official" following her resignation on Sunday, which came after several weeks of negative briefings about her, including the disclosure of her salary.

Following her resignation from the Labour leadership less than 100 days after taking office, Mr. Lammy commented, "It’s a new government and we are focused on moving forward with our tasks."

He expressed his gratitude to Ms. Gray for her contributions and welcomed her to her new role as the Prime Minister's representative for the UK's nations and regions.

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Ms. Gray resigned following criticism from fellow staff at Number 10 and civil servants, who questioned her effectiveness in managing the escalating scandal involving inappropriate gifts.

Additionally, it was noted that other special advisers continued to receive salaries equivalent to their opposition days, despite taking on significantly expanded roles, whereas Ms. Gray earned £170,000, which surpassed the Prime Minister's salary.

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She mentioned that her decision to resign was driven by the realization that the ongoing intense discussions concerning her role were at risk of diverting attention away from important issues.

After several weeks of controversy surrounding complimentary items accepted by Sir Keir and his senior colleagues, a recent survey revealed that nearly six out of ten people in Britain (59%) now label the Labour government as "sleazy".

A YouGov survey released on Monday revealed that 53% of British respondents anticipate that the Labour Party will uphold high standards of conduct.

Approximately 30% of Labour supporters label the government as corrupt, while a larger proportion, nearly 60% of Conservative voters, hold this view about the Conservative government from 2019 to 2024.

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Dissatisfaction is widespread among different political groups, with 45% of Conservative supporters, 42% of Labour supporters, and 45% of Liberal Democrat supporters stating that they had higher expectations for Labour's conduct.

Only about one-third of Labour supporters (34%) believe that the new administration has performed up to their expectations.

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In a comparison between Sir Keir Starmer and former leader Rishi Sunak, 35% of respondents view Sir Keir as more untrustworthy than Mr. Sunak.

Twenty-eight percent of respondents believe Mr. Sunak is more untrustworthy than Sir Keir, while 23% consider both to be equally untrustworthy.

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Approximately 66% of people in Britain find it inappropriate for politicians to accept free tickets to concerts or sports events, a practice that Sir Keir and various members of his cabinet have engaged in.

Over 80% of British people (84%) believe it is inappropriate for contributors to political parties to receive peerages, similar to what Boris Johnson tried to do for Conservative donor Stuart Marks.

Last week, Sir Keir returned £6,000 in tickets he had accepted since assuming the role of prime minister.

YouGov polled 2,084 adults throughout Great Britain on the 3rd and 4th of October.

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