UK Labour donor Alli investigated by standards watchdog

UK politician Waheed Alli, who has been at the centre of a donation scandal involving Prime Minister Keir Starmer, is being investigated by the Lords Commissioner for alleged non-registration of interests.

As a member of the parliament's upper chamber, the House of Lords, Alli is required to register his interests in line with a parliamentary code of conduct.

The investigation, announced on the parliament's website on Wednesday, said Alli might have potentially breached certain sections of the code of conduct.

He is a major Labour donor.

Starmer and some of his top ministers came under fire last month for accepting donations from Alli to pay for clothing, for hosting parties and foreign travel.

The controversy forced Starmer to say he would not accept any more donations to pay for his clothing.

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner and Finance Minister Rachel Reeves will also no longer accept them.

Alli, a media tycoon and former chairman of the online fashion retailer ASOS known in political circles for years, was brought to wider public attention in recent weeks due to scrutiny of his donations to Starmer.

Starmer has argued Lord Alli was motivated to help financially because he wanted Labour to win the election.

According to an update published on the UK parliament's website on Wednesday, Alli is being investigated by the Lords' commissioner for "alleged non-registration of interests leading to potential breaches of paragraphs 14(a) and 17 of the 13th edition of the code of conduct".

These rules relate to making clear what the interests are that might be reasonably thought to influence a member's parliamentary actions and ensuring entries are up to date.

Starmer repaid thousands of pounds worth of gifts from wealthy donors, his office said on Wednesday, following criticism over freebies received by the prime minister and other Labour politicians.

Only months after Starmer and his Labour Party were elected to power, he and some of his top ministers have come under fire for accepting donations to pay for clothing, host parties, attend concerts and foreign travel.

Starmer's Downing Street office said he had repaid more than 6000 pounds ($A11,560) worth of gifts ahead of the publication of a proposed new code for such donations.

"We are now going to bring forward principles for donations, because until now politicians have used their best individual judgment on a case-by-case basis," Starmer said when asked about the repayments by reporters during a trip to Brussels.

"So I took the decision that until the principles are in place, it was right for me to make those repayments," he said.

The 6000 pounds will cover the cost of six tickets for a Taylor Swift concert, four horse racing tickets and a clothing rental agreement with a high-end fashion designer.

Under the House of Commons code of conduct, members of parliament have to provide information about financial interests which might reasonably be thought to influence their work.

Starmer's registered financial interests show he received several donations from Alli, including multiple pairs of glasses, clothes and accommodation.

with PA