The Labour peer at the centre of a row over donations to Sir Keir Starmer is under investigation by the Lords’ standards watchdog over an alleged failure to register interests.
Lord Waheed Alli is facing a probe over potential breaches of parliamentary rules surrounding openness and accountability in the members’ code of conduct.
It comes after a backlash over Sir Keir and other Cabinet members – who vowed to “clean up” British politics – accepting tens of thousands of pounds worth of gifts and freebies, many from the long-standing Labour donor.
The Prime Minister has since committed to overhauling hospitality rules for ministers to ensure better transparency about what is provided.
Lord Alli, a media tycoon known known in political circles for years, was brought to wider public attention in recent weeks due to scrutiny of his donations to the Prime Minister.
READ MORE: SNP calls for investigation into Lord Alli donations and Downing Street pass
These included £20,000 declared by Sir Keir for accommodation during the election campaign, which the PM said was to allow his son to study for his GCSEs in peace at the former TV executive’s central London flat while the family home was surrounded by media.
The Prime Minister also accepted donations for glasses and clothing for both himself and his wife Lady Victoria Starmer.
Sir Keir has argued Lord Alli was motivated to help financially because he wanted Labour to win the election.
The controversy overshadowed the party’s first annual conference since entering Government and was cited by Canterbury MP Rosie Duffield as one of the reasons she resigned the whip on Saturday in protest against the leadership.
According to an update published on Parliament’s website on Wednesday, Lord 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.
Commenting on the announcement of an investigation, SNP Cabinet Office spokesperson Brendan O'Hara MP said: "I welcome the announcement of this investigation, following calls from the SNP. The Labour Party freebies scandal has wrecked public confidence in Keir Starmer, his government and the Westminster system, and there must be full transparency and accountability.
"It's now essential that in addition to this narrow inquiry, there is a full investigation by Standards Commissioners and the Independent Adviser on Ministers’ Interests into all the donations made by Lord Alli to Labour MPs and the subsequent granting of a Downing Street security pass.
"Voters are appalled that Labour ministers have been lining their pockets with more than £800,000 of luxury designer clothes, holidays, hospitality and donations, while imposing painful austerity cuts on the rest of us, and they want to know what donors were getting in exchange.
"We need answers - including why these gifts were taken, whether there have been breaches of the MPs and ministerial code, and why Lord Alli was handed a security pass to the halls of power."
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