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Ed Miliband has denied that Cabinet ministers are under pressure from Sir Keir Starmer to return donations following the freebies row that has engulfed the Labour Party in recent weeks.
On Wednesday, the prime minister attempted to draw a line under the issue by repaying £6,000 for hospitality and gifts he had received since entering Downing Street.
But one government minister told The Times there is confusion over what they can and can’t accept, accusing the prime minister of having let the row drag on.
They said: “It’s all dragged on for too long. We are not sure what we are supposed to do.
“I am just not going to accept anything now, which means there are events in my sector now that I won’t be able to go to.
“It’s strange because it’s the same team who were so effective in opposition, but they haven’t handled this well.”
But the energy secretary denied that Cabinet ministers are under pressure to return any donations, saying the prime minister is in a “particular position”.
Asked if he has been instructed to pay anything back, Mr Miliband told the BBC: “No, look, I think the PM is in a particular position because he’s the prime minister and he wanted to send a signal that he gets public disquiet about these issues.
“And obviously one way of dealing with that is to bring in new rules, which is what he says he’s going to do and I very much support that.
“But he’s also taken the step of paying back some of the money, just, I think, to send a very clear signal that he gets it on this issue.”
He said he was comfortable with choices he made regarding donations, adding that he is “very happy to defend” them.
Sir Keir’s announcement that he will return thousands of pounds worth of freebies came on the same day an investigation was launched into the probity of billionaire Labour donor Waheed Alli who was responsible for many of the gifts to the prime minister, his wife Victoria and members of the cabinet.
After weeks of claiming he had done nothing wrong, the move to return donations indicates an acceptance of growing criticism over the prime minister’s decision to accept £107,000 in gifts since 2019.
Sir Keir announced he will cover the cost of six Taylor Swift tickets, four to the races and a clothing rental agreement with a high-end designer favoured by his wife.
It came two days after he announced that the rules on declaring donations and gifts will be tightened up.
Pat McFadden, the chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, claimed the existing rules were a “Tory loophole” designed to protect previous Conservative ministers.