Labour’s early missteps are forgivable, but Starmer must get his house in order

Editorial: With reports emerging that his chief of staff Sue Gray holds a disproportionate amount of power in his cabinet, coupled with news that he accepted expensive personal gifts from a donor, the prime minister must find a way to impose order on his party

Keir Starmer has come under fire for accepting gifts from a donor (AP)

With hindsight, there is no doubt that it would have been better all round had Sir Keir Starmer not accepted the assistance with personal presentation offered by Waheed Alli to him and his wife. The same may be said for the access to hospitality at the Arsenal stadium, tickets to see Coldplay and Taylor Swift, and various other items.

The total often quoted, of £100,000, is the value of the gifts – and not, of course, cash, which the couple could have put to their own preferred use; and it covers the entire period since Sir Keir became leader of the opposition more than four years ago. Nonetheless, the sum is substantial – and to many in the country, almost beyond comprehension.

It is doubly unfortunate that the story has attracted so much coverage, by no means all of it balanced, at a time when so many people are struggling with the cost of living crisis – which is far from over. It also creates an unpleasant juxtaposition with the cuts to the winter fuel allowance.

For a leader who has made so much out of personal probity and obeying the rules, it is, as the saying goes, “not a great look” (unlike his designer spectacles and sharp suits). Unfavourable comparisons have been drawn with the excesses of the Boris Johnson era.

But this really is unfair. Unlike Mr Johnson, who refused to declare anything he didn’t wish to about his holidays, wallpaper and finances, Sir Keir’s affairs are completely transparent. People are free to criticise his judgement, but it is all out in the open.

Aside from some late filings, for which he has apologised, there has been not a whiff of secrecy or concealment. Neither has Sir Keir gained any personal profit from these donations, and the fact that Lord Alli was given a pass for Downing Street for a short time does not raise any questions about national security; this prime minister, like any other, can ask for advice from anyone he wishes to.

Despite the innuendo, nowhere has anyone identified any gain or favour Lord Alli has gained from the help he has given to the Labour Party. There have been no dodgy contracts for cronies, no special favours on planning applications, no quid pro quo. Indeed, it is difficult to see exactly what the scandal here is, beyond the “optics” and a hostile press making the most of Labour’s embarrassment.

There is rather more substance to the other controversy distracting the prime minister, which concerns the role played and power wielded by his chief of staff, Sue Gray, along with Morgan McSweeney, the head of political strategy, and no doubt various others, including the cabinet secretary Simon Case (soon to be replaced).

It’s ironic that Ms Gray, who used to be head of ethics for the civil service and famously investigated Partygate, should have overseen some of the government’s ill-fated political appointments (such as that of party donor Ian Corfield to the Treasury). What is almost incomprehensible is how such a gifted pair of administrators as Ms Gray and Sir Keir could have contrived to make No 10 look so badly managed.

Again, though, some perspective is required. Whatever tensions have set in as the government settles into its work, these are hardly comparable to the chaos of the civil wars between Dominic Cummings, his squad of misfits, the then cabinet secretary Mark Sedwill, and Carrie Johnson (nee Symonds) during their time in Downing Street.

Even so, if the various reports from well-placed “sources” are to be believed, Sir Keir needs to impose some order on his courtiers and stop them from briefing against one another.

Short on governmental experience and inevitably on a learning curve – the Labour Party having spent 14 years out of office – it is not so surprising that Sir Keir’s incipient administration has suffered some missteps as it sets out on its missions. Some appointments to the civil service have been questionable, and the power structures at the heart of government – which are hard to manage smoothly at the best of times – need some attention.

The bigger picture, though, is of an ambitious government that has already set its stamp on the nation, and taken tough but necessary decisions. The public finances are on track to being brought under control at the Budget. The Rwanda plan has been scrapped. The incessant strikes on railways and in the hospitals are at an end. The NHS is set on a path to reform. Schools are being given funding for badly needed teachers. The summer riots were rapidly quelled by decisive action. The reset with Europe is well underway. These factors, too, need to be weighed in the balance.

It is certainly curious that a party that has shown itself to be so skilled at presentation and timing should have made some silly errors so soon upon entering office, but they are essentially about process rather than policy. Soon, Labour’s conference, its first in power since 2009, will give Sir Keir and his colleagues a chance to reconnect with the people who helped them get elected, along with some time to reflect. It will be a time for the party leadership to listen, too.