Keir Starmer stayed in Lord Alli’s luxury London flat after leaving No10 despite ‘freebie-gate’ scandal
Sir Keir Starmer stayed in Lord Waheed Alli's luxury London flat after leaving No10 despite the property's central role in the "freebie-gate" scandal.
Shortly after his departure from Downing Street in July, the former prime minister was spotted leaving the £18.35million Covent Garden pad owned by the wealthy Labour donor.
Lord Alli's luxury property played a key role in the "freebie-gate" row which plagued the early days of Sir Keir's ill-fated premiership.
In September 2024, it emerged Sir Keir had frequently used the flat while he was on the campaign trail in the run-up to the 2024 general election.
The same month, it was revealed the former Labour leader's son had stayed in Lord Alli's property in Westminster while he was studying for his GCSE exams.
It is believed Sir Keir has been staying in the peer's flat since mid-July due to security concerns about his North London family home.
In May 2025, the property in Kentish Town was targeted in a firebombing, with Roman Lavrynovych, a Ukrainian, 22, and Stanislav Carpiuc, a Romanian, 28, jailed over the arson attack.
The early days of Sir Keir's premiership saw him face questions surrounding gifts he accepted from Lord Alli during his time as leader of the opposition.
It emerged Sir Keir accepted £16,200 for clothing and a further £2,845 for glasses from the wealthy donor.
Following the revelations, Sir Keir's repeated use of Lord Alli's luxury central London flat also came to light.
Although it is not clear when he started using the property, he was first spotted there in December 2021, using it to record his Christmas message.
In the address, Sir Keir urged the British public to keep following Covid-19 rules, including guidance at the time which advised those who could work from home to do so.
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Sir Keir filmed another public broadcast at the flat in September 2022, paying tribute to Queen Elizabeth II following her death.
He later moved his family into the property ahead of the general election in May 2024 as he launched his bid to become prime minister.
The Starmers remained there until July 13, moving into a flat above No11 just over a week after Labour's landslide victory.
After facing scrutiny over the £20,000 move, Sir Keir insisted it was necessary to let his son revise for his exams in peace.
Sir Keir claimed media activity outside his Camden property had created a disruptive environment for his family.
After using the flat again following his exit from Downing Street, he is now believed to have moved out.
Following his resignation as MP for Holborn and St Pancras last month, he has been linked to a number of roles in international affairs, including the head of Nato.
Announcing his decision to step away from frontline politics for the time being, Sir Keir said he was looking to "focus on other issues", including "defence, security, trade and technology in a fast-changing world".
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