Why is Keir Starmer's 'declared hospitality' a major story? | James O'Brien analysis

James O’Brien questions why Keir Starmer's 'declared hospitality' is being presented as a major story.
It comes as former Labour MP Harriet Harman has said that Sir Keir Starmer should stop trying to 'justify' accepting free gifts, as it is 'making things worse', former Labour MP Harriet Harman has said.
The baroness, now a peer in the House of Lords and co-host of Sky News' Electoral Dysfunction podcast, said the controversy was "out of line" for the prime minister, and he should change his approach rather than "doubling down."
Sir Keir has faced scrutiny over the past week for accepting more than £100,000 worth of gifts, including tickets to football matches, concerts, and luxury clothing.
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[@twofoursevenbeauty]

Serving politicians should not accept gifts/donations from anyone, ever.

[@Theo_Isaacs]

Rightly pointed out. You would have thought after all the historical scandals and corruption this would be Crystal clear. Starmer has disgraced himself by accepting thousands in gifts regardless of declarations as it just doesn’t sit well with politicians.

[@DavidAllen-fo4jl]

I think that is true. Thank you.

[@bipolarminddroppings]

If you ban them altogether then they will just be done under the table. The only way to keep them relatively honest is to make them to have declare it all.

[@inthegutterstaringathestars]

@@bipolarminddroppings Allow them to accept "gifts" because if we don't then they will just do deals ("bribes") under the table? By that logic, we should just legalise all crime, because otherwise, people will just do it in secret.

[@isthereanybodyoutthere9397]

What? Like birthday or Christmas or anniversary presents, or just someone who admires them?

[@vgnrnr]

I think it's just in really poor taste that he's accepting all these gifts while telling everyone else just how difficult life is going to be for the foreseeable. Sure, he didn't hide this but he could just say no to all these. I refuse to believe people are just giving these politicians these "gifts" and not expecting to get something in return

[@Taylor23890]

Yeah but the big O here don’t understand that either . He went private school and lives in a nice expensive area in West London, he don’t get it

[@bradleycostello9077]

He has a season ticket and the club have given him a box so he can get security in there. Its a non story, all officials go to vip for games for teams they support, macron gets vip for france games and paris saint germain games. The french don't complain

[@Taylor23890]

@@bradleycostello9077 Why did they give him a box ? Kier Starmer the granny harmer should have bought the box himself .so it is a story

[@drummingtildeath]

​@Taylor23890 they gave him a box because having the PM at a football game is a security risk. He could have paid for it himself I suppose, but what difference would that make? It doesn't affect us whether he pays or the club does. We literally have no horse in this race

[@Taylor23890]

@@drummingtildeath Makes a huge difference. All these gifts aren’t all since July 2024 so to say the PM , basically he’s a pi$$ taker

[@marumaru6084]

100k of "gifts" for nothing doesnt pass any sniff test.

[@Chad-kk5oz]

Sniff tests are great because you can ignore context to reinforce your personal prejudices.

[@marumaru6084]

@@Chad-kk5oz Yeah something not allowed to business is okay for 2 tk and Victoria Sponge. That is just prejudice!

[@Chad-kk5oz]

@@marumaru6084 comments with right-wing talking points like "Two Tier Keir" don't pass my sniff test.

[@marumaru6084]

@@Chad-kk5oz You dont like the truth this is no surprise!

[@russonate_]

​@@marumaru6084Wisdom and knowledge chases you. Unfortunately, you are faster.

[@alteredstate07]

He is a public servant and he should not be accepting gifts from anyone, in particular businessmen/women with agenda's. He should be setting the bar high as he claimed he woulld do.

[@alteredstate07]

..and comparing him to BJ is not a reasonable comparison James, compare him to the previous labour leaders of 30 years. Starmers had more than all of them put together.

[@paulhodgers]

​@@alteredstate07personally i think labour should use this outrage to force through a bill for disclosure of all gifts received by for the last 30 years, and make them illegal.

[@WeeShoeyDugless]

​@@paulhodgers Would love to see Mr BLIARS list😂😂😂

[@richybatty234]

​@@alteredstate07 No . Comparing him to the lying corrupt Tory party leaders is EXACTLY the right thing to do . All those frauds and their friends across the extremely biased 95% of the right wing media are the ones trying to smear him . Why should he be compared to past Labour leaders ? They are not his accusers ... As O'Brien says .. Starmer has declared EVERYTHING so comparing him to the last clown show of bent politicians who tried to cover everything up that they did is perfectly correct .

[@inspectortanzi]

It's classed as gross misconduct in the Civil Service.

[@Kyle-ce5ks]

To summarise, James's thinks it's alright for Labour but not for the Tories

[@Luke-y7b]

You just think what I think

[@oneoflokis]

💯

[@thegaiastone1]

Is it just me or does he talk in riddles? It's coming across to me that he thinks it's ok but at the end he did say he wasn't comfortable with it

[@Luke-y7b]

@@thegaiastone1 no mate not just you everybody else sees it

[@brucster99b2]

Hey... he's got a new book out! Just in case you didn't know. James "Yawn" O'Brian.

[@piph7690]

Do you REALLY need it to be explained why it's a terrible look for a wealthy politician to accept gifts whilst removing essential benefits to the elderly?

[@inthegutterstaringathestars]

It is James O'Brien, of course he needs it explained to him.

[@jawadarif5676]

You do know it apply to the rich pensioner like boris dad or the once that pensioner living in south of spain

[@gecila1]

The winter fuel allowance is a gift for the majority of the elderly, not the ''essential benefit'' it is for others. If you're using it for ''something nice'' for the grandkids and it's not used to cover the cost of keeping your home warm enough for you to remain healthy... it's a gift, and millions of pensioners are essentially no different to Starmer for accepting it. A little back hander, taken for granted for too long, funded from current working peoples taxes to grease the all important grey vote.

[@donnabowen6301]

I know and now they are defending him if it was Boris we would never hear the end of it.😊

[@DavidAllen-fo4jl]

It's just cant because he supports them.

[@philjameson292]

Its distasteful that MPs are getting all of these freebies. Surely the tax implications should be taken into account as "benefits in kind"? Give them a £1000 per tax free for greebies and then they should be paying tax at 40% on these freebies above this limit

[@paulchadwick9419]

are you telling businesses who they can and who they can't give freebies to? I could understand if you owned the businesses

[@philjameson292]

@@paulchadwick9419 MPs shouldn't be accepting freebies. We want them to be operating impartially for the benefit of their constituents and not feeling that they are beholden to the freebie giver In the company that I worked for we had very strict limits on the value and quantity of freebies that we could accept from suppliers - max £50 per year per supplier and personally I only dealt with a handful of suppliers. The most we got was a supplier taking my team of about 12 people to an Xmas lunch The civil service has a code of conduct although I can't see any specific limits

[@paulchadwick9419]

@@philjameson292MPs have always accepted freebies for years it’s nothing new , people can’t tell football clubs or singers who they can and can’t not give freebies to , I doubt anybody would turn them down if it was offered to them , I very much doubt that Taylor swift wants a seat in the House of Lords or Arsenal football club It’s not like the Tory corruption with the PPE scandal and back handers they got

[@ibexdnb2879]

​@@paulchadwick9419 Conflict of interest. Do they serve the public or do they serve wealthy business men? My guess would be the people who give them fancy gifts...

[@paulchadwick9419]

@@ibexdnb2879cost security at Arsenal for him our way the freebie , what did you think Taylor swift want out of him for giving him free tickets

[@303cerebral]

He accepted horse racing tickets from a gambling firm then dropped a pledge to make it harder for gambling addicts to use all their life savings.

[@PedroPanzer]

Shh, you are upsetting James propaganda.

[@Altolin]

Could you name a source where I could find out more about this? Genuinely interested.

[@WeeShoeyDugless]

​@@Altolin "LONDON - Keir Starmer and his staff accepted tickets to attend concerts, football matches and horse-racing gifted by Big Tech companies and racecourse operators as lobbyists target potential players in the next U.K. government. The Labour leader, whose party is leading in the opinion polls ahead of a possible 2024 election, received football tickets worth more than £12,000 since May last year from a range of sources including football clubs, the Football Association and grocery delivery firm Getir. He also accepted the hospitality of Arena Racing and Google Ireland, which paid for a meal for two worth £380 at the elite Davos summit in Switzerland this year." If you look, its easy to find🥴 This was from as far back as May 2023 so it isn't a new phenomenon😂😂

[@jackperry2821]

Quite easy to google this and find out there is zero evidence for this. The question is, what's your motive about spreading this nonsense?

[@Altolin]

@@jackperry2821 It's being reported by politico, so that's not zero evidence, is it?

[@mandriod5255]

It’s about time these backhanders and bribes are stopped regardless of which flavour politician they are to, also lobbying with financial/gifts incentives needs to be stopped.

[@robinburn4974]

If someone buys you and your wife expensive clothes they expect something back, simple

[@naeedaafzal3055]

It's bribe to get their contracts and work done

[@Wildgeese73]

Probably hoping for a 3 tier session 😂

[@nazirkazi2588]

I'll just say PPE, to remind you all that some people who seem to know Tories set up companies to defraud the British public of colossal amounts of money, at a time when the country needed to pull together most.

[@colnixon8989]

Advertisement of their product count at all?

[@colnixon8989]

@@naeedaafzal3055 By a dressmaker? What do you imagine they'd want in return?

[@DARRELLGRIFFITHS]

As usual O’Brien changes the point to suit his narrative. Starmer said repeatedly running up to the election, he was going to stop all this sort of thing and clean up politics.

[@QueenBabylonnia]

Whilst he is taking with both hands.

[@drummingtildeath]

Surely cleaning up politics means doing everything legally, unlike the last lot. And nothing here is illegal.

[@jawadarif5676]

​@@drummingtildeaththe tory are happy with multi million contract giving to there friends

[@inthegutterstaringathestars]

@@jawadarif5676 And Labour aren't. Some of their members also profited from Covid contracts. Or are you one of those hypocrites that think, "it is ok when Labour do it but not Tories"?

[@donnabowen6301]

​@@jawadarif5676You mean like Lord Ali

[@altafpatel6294]

O’Brien dislikes client journalism , footballification yet he can’t see the irony of doing it himself 🙄🤷‍♂️

[@trueredred859]

He’s hatred for corbyn was prime example of footballifacation

[@marty1459]

James just keeps showing himself as a complete hypocrite with Starmer. He conveniently left out the part where Starmer is about to hit the entire country with austerity season two and that's why all this lush living from Starmer is both hypocritical and selfish. The blind spot centrists have for other centrists is on par with cultish behaviour and James is showing this day after day right now. HIs show is what Nick Ferrari's was to the Tory party. Complete gaslighting on the behalf of Starmer.

[@elainehardman1683]

Talking about journalists being driven by political bias and genuine stupidity...sums you up perfectly, James. Take your blinkers off and report without bias instead of just being a labour mouthpiece. You rightly treated the Tories without kid gloves, so do the same with Labour.

[@fabiennemitchell2371]

LBC permits its presenters to be partisan. That is absolutely fine but James O'Brien has become nasty minded. He exaggerates and he gets some details wrong because he uses as his source corrupted msm, amongst other things.

[@ChibiViolin]

Never going to happen. He is so desperate to spin he's started talking about brexit again.

[@ibexdnb2879]

All James can do is talk about Brexit and The conservative party otherwise he has to confront Labour and Kier Stalin..

[@heatherkirkland9056]

This past month, I've been put off listening to James find him very often condescending. I don't understand why he is still on air as rude to anyone phones in . Keir can afford buy own suits or should we all put claim in workplace for clothes ?

[@Torkmastaflex]

This all makes sense to me. Doesn't seem like Keir is hiding anything, unlike the last 3

[@ronlight5267]

If a police officer took a gift of one pound, he would lose his job. So why is it okay for a millionaire. Or anyone in public office.

[@oneoflokis]

💯

[@donmac7780]

Starmer in his 5 years as leader of the opposition and PM has accepted more hospitality than the prior 4 Labour leaders( Blair,Brown, Miliband and Corbyn) COMBINED. Blair was in power for 10 years, Brown didn't take a single penny, and Corbyn received tickets to Glastonbury once, which he turned into a working trip. This is about the man's cupidity and arrogance. James, Give YOUR head a wobble.

[@daddydayne]

Let's not forget he absolutely ridiculed others of the opposition for taking freebies and now it's coming out that he's accepted more freebies than any leader combined since 1994 lol...

[@davebox588]

More freebies? You have a short memory. Big difference, the spectacular corruption of the Tory years, yet you're attacking something which is completely legal.

[@bipolarminddroppings]

Boris Johnson was given £50k to "decorate" Number 10. That was just one gift of many that on their own are almost as much as Starmer's entire history of gifts. If you're really going to expect us to believe your nonsense, you're going to have to do better.

[@inthegutterstaringathestars]

@@bipolarminddroppings So because Johnson did, that means Starmer should be allowed to do it? Even though Starmer tried taking the moral high ground by saying what Johnson did was wrong?

[@andyf4292]

errr bojo had about 6 million

[@adam7802]

@@bipolarminddroppings He said he wasn't going to do any of this, then he takes over £100k in gifts almost straight away! Who is paying you to be such a shill LOL

[@tac9238]

It’s major because he’s supposed to be making a decision on Football regulation yet takes gifts from the Premier League.

[@andrina118]

Didn't you listen to what was said before commenting?

[@riccidolan]

Its very much not a gift nor is it from the premier league. Its from a club he already pays for a season ticket for but due to being PM and the how dangerous the right wing are he cant use it.

[@henryburton6529]

Wow the Premier League making provisions for the PM to watch games securely..... Look Vladimir we dont care what Russians think about our democracy because Putin is a dictator whereas we have free and fair elections

[@stan4723]

Sir Kier did not reveal who were donors for his campaign to be leader,until after the event.

[@---df5sr]

Because nobody likes to sit in VIP sections??? He wants to sit with the regular (right wing) fans 😂😂 the lengths James will go to cover for Labour is despicable.

[@Sassssky]

Corbyn paid for his own ticket to sit in the stands at Araenal lol.

[@michaelotieno6524]

Do you really know how hard it is imagine having the ref blow the whistle to start the 2nd half before you have finished your lunch and had a proper cup of tea. Even worse imagine having to watch the match through a glass window. The hardship the leader of the opposition had to go through in the service of King and Country.....🤣🤣🤣

[@oneoflokis]

​@@Sassssky💯💯

[@gnu_andrew]

I'd rather some company was paying for him to sit in the VIP section than we, the taxpayers, were paying for security for him to sit in the stands.

[@oneoflokis]

@@gnu_andrew Really? 😏

[@donmac7780]

Starmer in his 5 years as leader of the opposition and PM has accepted more hospitality than the prior 4 Labour leaders( Blair,Brown, Miliband and Corbyn) COMBINED. Blair was in power for 10 years, Brown didn't take a single penny, and Corbyn received tickets to Glastonbury once, which he turned into a working trip.

[@AlexMahon-u2u]

O'Brien is too brainwashed to see it.

[@BumbleyBoo]

Think the point made is that Starmer's actually being public about everything received. Which is frankly dumb, because he's going to be compared to people that haven't declared things, such as Johnson getting loans sorted by a fella he appoints to the head of the BBC.

[@inthegutterstaringathestars]

@@BumbleyBoo So "gifts" and corruption are ok as long as they are declared?

[@WeeShoeyDugless]

​@@BumbleyBoo Aye right, stalin's being public😂😂😂 Is that why he waited months instead o the mandatory 28 days??😂😂😂

[@bipolarminddroppings]

How about comparing him to the people who were in the job more recently? Oh wait? When you do that you realise that it's really not a big deal because they took millions, and didn't declare a fraction of it, and even the stuff they declared was way worse than Starmer? Now I see why you want to compare him to Blair...

[@NewExperienceExplorer]

OH NOOOO THE POOR POOR Starmer, go on James fluff him up, YEEES let him take bribes from the rich cause he's such a blighted poor man making 160k by his little self, while taking money from the poorest people in the UK. Let the pensioners die in the cold while Starmer enjoys his fancy glasses, clothes and other BRIBES from the rich. That's a fact. If you were against Rishi and Boris getting that , you should be against this behaviour now!.

[@neilbigh2654]

Did you even listen to the whole story you melt, open your ears!

[@alteredstate07]

Fluff him up!, haha. James is a serious fanboy. Almost sounds blinkered,

[@andrina118]

KZbin really has low quality comments

[@Jonnyonthespot123]

6.23 is when he actually addresses this point. Do none of you actually listen to the show? Watch the video?

[@NewExperienceExplorer]

@@neilbigh2654 in the great words of James O'brien we listened to the same thing your problem is being a fan boy , my problem is we are supposed to keep private money out of government and taking care of the poorer people instead of being a blind cult member. but sure melt away for your boy :))

[@mightywoz]

O'Brian is a Clown of the highest order. I mean, come on! If this was a Tory, he'd be the worst human being in history. 😂

[@hammerqos]

Jamrs O'Brien is just beyond ridiculous Never seen someone so biased towards Labour and Starmer especially.

[@henryburton6529]

If it was a Tory they would have taken 10x as much from Russian's to destroy the UK, not football tickets from the Premier League to watch games in a secure environment. This is in the PL's interest having the sitting PM go to games.

[@adam7802]

@@henryburton6529 He said he wouldn't be like them doing all this. And it wasn't £100k worth of tickets, it's clothes and other random things that you can't justify which is why you don't mention it. Stop being a shill it's just embarrassing.

[@henryburton6529]

@@adam7802 So which particular things which he willingly declared are you upset about him receiving? And how exactly has that impacted his policies? Its not exactly Boris having his flat done up or honest Bob Jenrick taking 1/2 million to give millions in tax payer money to a Tory donor.

[@magicanimalfish1029]

O'Brien looking ridiculous now. I thought he couldn't get any worse...

[@Lee-k9y]

They are bribes, not gifts...

[@AlanPreston-w6n]

But it was not declared until the MSM reported it.

[@jivasrocks]

What a poor, pathetic line of reasoning from this person !! Go and do one

[@arturobandini4078]

I like James' show but, man, it was beyond cringey to listen to him defending Starmer on this.

[@johnrussell3961]

What is the point of a table saying who got what, when the cabinet are excluded from supplying the data?

[@michaelotieno6524]

That should be the 1st issue.

[@DavidAllen-fo4jl]

Take out the freebies by showing who got what. QED.

[@johnrussell3961]

@@DavidAllen-fo4jl Ministers are excluded!

[@garriejackson9551]

It's a big deal because he's doing exactly the same as the Tories and his hypocrisy is sickening, Starmer is making the Labour party unelectable for ever,he shouldn't be allowed near the Labour party

[@WeeShoeyDugless]

Keep him, no other party would touch him with a barge pole, he's toxic 😂😂

[@Elizadoolittle1948]

"Declared hospitality" 😅

[@beverleyprice7468]

Accountability and transparency- only poor people have to do without? Missed opportunity

[@sheenamaclean2356]

Maybe he gives his season ticket to a poor member of his costituency

[@RPAGN]

What a total fraud Starmer is. No politician should ever take a freebie or gift, ever. Why would this be otherwise? On the specific point of Starmer's Arsenal viewing, he can afford to pay for a box. If he can't, tough.

[@dwdei8815]

Depressingly James joins the club of "This is my moral compass - and if you don't like it, I have another". Declarations are not an ethical whitewash. I appreciate the security argument about going to matches, but I hate to see this greed for luxury goods and expensive gift clothes. That feels like a promise of integrity smashed against the wall.

[@---df5sr]

LBC running propaganda for the Labour party 😂

[@Taylor23890]

This is the only channel that will have the big O , look at his history been given the elbow from many other channels . Not forgetting that buy to let property that lined his pockets

[@richybatty234]

Conveniently forgetting Dale , Ferrari , Braverman , Johnson etc etc

[@keithmartland6463]

So Labour wanted the rules changed, but yet when they get into power nothing changes, go figure James!

[@C56-d8h]

Because it’s hypocritical to hold Boris and other tories to one set of standards and Labour to another. Remember the fuss about the wallpaper for number 10 - which is a state building? I work for the NHS and am not allowed to accept even a box of chocolates, little alone tickets to a box at Arsenal.

[@graemeramsden1872]

Surprise surprise James is up Starmers backside.

[@BlueSabor]

100%

[@crayontom9687]

I wonder if James still thinks the ‘grownups’ are back in charge? Imagine going out to bat for these people. Embarrassing

[@annmcevoy5686]

Always count on J O B to defend the indefensible!

[@Chris-oz9qx]

Hilarious seeing these centrists who were rightfully condemning the Tories now defending Starmer for doing exactly the same. James O'Brien is a typical Centrist, no moral integrity whatsoever

[@evieblessed]

It's embarrassing really.

[@Chris-oz9qx]

​@@evieblessedthey don't feel shame, they ooze arrogance......they have that in common with the Tories.

[@djamateurvinny58]

@Chris-oz9qx and Sue Gray - the civil servant of morality on more than the PM just let's it wash over. Starmer The Granny Harmer, the man who'll lead us with integrity etc. etc. etc.

[@bipolarminddroppings]

It's a matter of scale. Boris took 50k to do up Number 10. Starmer has taken £100k in his entire career.

[@davebox588]

Big difference is that the corruption over the last ten years at least had to be dug out by investigative journalism. All this nonsense was declared, as it should be.

[@sarahjaneross2918]

The major scandal, is not so much the glasses and suits, but about the 40 million in donations from hedge funds with interest in weapons, oil, and private health care... that is the really concerning story.

[@lewis123417]

Pmsl james Obrien has no moral compass. OK for Labour to do it but obrien was the first to have a breakdown when Boris was decorating public property with expensive wallpaper

[@riccidolan]

No rules were broken.

[@lewis123417]

@@riccidolan like that's an answer to moral dubious practices 🤣🤣 a lot of tax evasion isn't against the rules that doesn't make it moral

[@Jonnyonthespot123]

Did you watch the video or just pull your pants down in the comment section?

[@lewis123417]

​@Jonnyonthespot123 obrien making excuses for his private school mates telling us we shouldn't be getting all worked up about well paid starmer taking handouts from millionaires

[@jamonit7169]

@@Jonnyonthespot123 Most people can predict what O'Brien is going to say ( It's either Boris or Brexit related..)so can forgo the pain of actually listening to him say it!

[@trueredred859]

Compare this sycophantic praise to JoBs vilification of Jeremy Corbyn

[@Chris-oz9qx]

O'Brien is a typical Centrist......hates the left more than he does the right.

[@goot-if4km]

That's up to an enquiry which will be motioned in Parliament not up to you O'Brien?

[@dulcieogilvie5786]

Bribery gets you everywhere with politicians…..that’s what’s wrong with our politicians…….bribeable.

[@samclark7714]

James the frustration is that we voted for Keir for him to be different to the Tories, just because he done far less than Boris does make it any less disappointing that Keir has still done it.

[@gnu_andrew]

Then you weren't paying attention, because these claims are from his time as opposition leader, before he became PM.

[@encorefootball]

Because you made a huge story everytime a Tory was caught breaching parliament rules. It's only fair Starmer receives the same treatment (and no, I am not a Tory supporter).

[@gnu_andrew]

But he hasn't breached any rules. In fact, you know this information because he declared the gifts.

[@An-Alien-On-Earth]

James spent a whole week moaning about Boris wallpaper , james has a short memory

[@Chris-oz9qx]

James is a hypocrite, a perfect example of cognitive dissonance

[@andrewkavanagh3210]

James O visible struggling with cognitive dissonance. Fun to watch

[@DavidAllen-fo4jl]

Yes. Isn't it? S'funny how he would proscribe for all of us and tell us all what to do. I think he's a public schoolboy with leftish bias who has no secure basis in the real world, and what we really think.

[@olly7673]

I observed the very same thing... it was SOOOOO obvious but he cant change his own narrative without losing similar face with his own followers that the Prime Minister has with the great British public.

[@waynegodwin426]

James is so hurt ,when he realised his lefty friends are just as bad as the righties he hates

[@Paul_W_Tudor]

Starmer is a self described right wing conservative

[@peterrayment5826]

For the record James is a liberal centrist. Not remotely left. See his views on the moderately left social democratic previous Labour leader for further info. Lefties don't make poor pensioners pay off the debts accrued by not taxing the rich. If they do they then they ain't a leftie.

[@olibeardmore1925]

SO true. Some how this is the right wing medias fault ahahah

[@geedee1264]

Starmer is a neoliberal mate the only thing left wing about him is the name he shares with Keir Hardy

[@grahamelliott6041]

According to James the Tories could do no right (agreed), also according to James Labour can do no wrong (disagree)

[@andrina118]

Decent analysis James. Starmer is being tone-deaf. I thought he was better at politics that this. The Winter fuel thing is another example. Anyone can see if they'd devised a better way to exclude rich pensioners it would have been a big win for them

[@nev7711]

Is LBC affiliated to the Labour Party and is James O'Brien their media and communications director?

[@WeeShoeyDugless]

No, only some of their presenters. Nick Ferrari calls them all out fairly.

[@marko-ze4nl]

The sight of a champagne socialist desperately defending another champagne socialist is nauseating. Starmer had years to prepare for this moment and even though I didn’t expect much from him I can’t believe what an absolute dogs dinner he’s making of it.

[@Lee-k9y]

James is a hypocrite, pure and simple...

[@LynnWaggott]

He wouldn't need so much security if he was a half decent human being.

[@user-dk6jb6hq9t]

James o'brien is as out of touch as the politicians

[@palerider955]

Because it's obvious corruption, stop deflecting James.

[@charliebryce3783]

When Starmer became Labour leader, the Daily Mail ran the Headline 'Starmer buys land worth £3 M'. Except it would be worth 3M if it had building permission on it which it didn't and secondly he bought it for his mother's Donkey Sanctuary. This is the extent the Daily Mail are willing to twist the truth.

[@lewis123417]

What does that have to do with kier starmer taking handouts from millionaires for glasses?

[@johnparsons6443]

So if he can buy land for a donkey sanctuary but can't afford a pair of glasses, new suit, shoes or to buy a new dress for his wife there is something very wrong with this mans thinking.

[@lewis123417]

@johnparsons6443 fair point actually 🤣 how can he afford a donkey sanctuary but not a pair of glasses

[@cheech7900]

Its classic, you discredit, your opponent. In politics and media, a tactic as old as the professions existence.

[@inthegutterstaringathestars]

What do you do when both you and your opponent have dirt that discredits you both?

[@cheech7900]

@@inthegutterstaringathestars well in those professions, you attack the witnesses, create doubt over the credibility of the sources, emphasise bias, have a favourable newspaper, print an ‘opinion piece’, once thats in the print media, TV, radio can report on it, without legal comeback. See, the laws the govern print media and audio visual media are very different. Then all the paper needs to do, after running a front page story is print a small retraction on page 22, hidden next to something people skip past but what do people remember, well the headline and the tv, radio broad casts and as human nature as it is, the damage is done, the genies out the bottle, so to speak, the phrase, theres no smoke without fire, comes into play, social media gets its teeth into it and then 20-25 years later, the actual truth comes out, when someone is researching a historical political piece.

[@terrytopliss9506]

The problem I have with this is,if you receive gifts etc from prominent business and very rich people it could put you in a difficult position?

[@diudies]

I for one, can't wait for James O'Brien's reputation to capitulate in real time with the Labour government.

[@madeinengland4910]

Did you Vote Labour James ? Are you proud of yourself ? "ARE YOU GETTING WHAT WANTED FROM LABOUR JAMES ,WELL ARE YOU .?

[@ceebee51]

I heard he voted Reform

[@leo1961berlin]

Of course, people like James O'Brien will jump to find excuses for the new PM and dial down the sense of public unease, if not outrage. I doubt whether he'd have been quite so solicitous about finding extenuating circumstances in the cases of Johnson, Truss and Sunak. This is about two things. Number One: you do not promise to clean up politics while in opposition and then reveal a few weeks into office that you are just carrying on with the same narrative we had before. Number Two: forget all the tickets (they really aren't that important); if you're a man of integrity, you do not allow another man to buy your wife pretty frocks and the self-same man to buy you designer glasses. Mark, digest and inwardly learn: there is no such thing as a free lunch.

[@robertbolder5319]

I was someone who voted Labour for the first time in July because I was fed up of the continued stories of the Tories not behaving in manner expected of people in privileged positions in Government. Labour stood on a platform of these things were unacceptable and politics should serve the public not for personal gain. I feel my trust has been misplaced. Yes we have had bigger scandals and in somethings like the Arsenal tickets I think you have to give Starmer the benefit of the doubt but still annoys me hearing someone who is comfortably well off accepting gifts of expensive glasses and for his wife's clothes and being so pious when speaking about when similar stories happened with the Tories.

[@brianmaynard9282]

Starmer and O'Brien Two of a kind, Both Greasy weasels.

[@fabiennemitchell2371]

The right-wing press are criticising Keir Starmer AND people on the left such as Owen Jones, journalist.

[@andrewrobertson6435]

Why do I feel like James has bought Keir a pint?

[@JB_inks]

And a reacharound

[@patriciawilliams7419]

Can't believe you have the audacity to ask that question, just a laughing stock😂

[@julian987r4]

James, an Arsenal home game is not a national event!!! The brainwashed mentality here is off the charts. And, errrr, why doesn’t Kier buy his own box tickets. Still secure, but I dunno how about the concept of he himself paying for it. James has lost his mind.

[@KorvetKlan]

Hypocrite is the word your are looking for.

[@DavidAllen-fo4jl]

Sorry, Sir. I think you don't understand what's going on. That you interrupt people incessantly you don't agree with is cause for concern. How open are you to public debate outside your own radio show?

[@revwpitt2347]

You might be able to justify these perks if he hadn`t spent his entire time in opposition criticising the Tories for exactly the same thing. To turn round now and defend Starmer just proves you have no principles.

[@Issues-fy5sg]

No offense has been committed, but If he had sincerely wanted to save the taxpayers money, he could watched the matches from home and donated his season tickets for the use of the underprivileged who would never be able to afford such a luxury.

[@jimwilson-kl2xs]

Starmer got a bunger James, stop defending it, you would have pilloried Boris for same and why would Starmer buy a season ticket that can't be used for security reasons, that makes no sense

[@hugh8329]

Rich toff using top level political position for getting freebies is a major story.

[@---df5sr]

Is he feeling ok?

[@isabellesmith5253]

It s not a question about being transparent or not it s that giving gifts should not be allowed

[@jeffreymelanson4549]

O'Brien would loose his mind if Starmer was a Torrie. Starmer stiffs the elderly and accepts 100k in gifts O'Brien sees no problem. He redirects the conversation towards Johnson and still bangs on about Brexit.

[@Wildgeese73]

This is my first and last visit to LBC.

[@WeeShoeyDugless]

You need to listen to Nick Ferrari 1st before casting judgement. A proper, well informed journalist who tackles all sides. Forget O'brien, he is just a LIEBOUR mouthpiece!!

[@MarkSiosal]

Yup. I thought James might treat Labour just the same as the rest. I'm a big fan but it looks like he's lining up as the apologist while others have a pop. Role reversal.

[@timjones2441]

Never listen to o'brien he's so left he couldn't turn right in his car

[@sonsofthesilentage994]

£100,000 in gifts is freeloading. Especially for a man earning £400,000pa and the same man condemning old folk to the depressing cold of winter. I don't know how he can be defended

[@simongardner3766]

Politicians reward is power and public service, they are not supposed to use the job to enrich themselves. No politician should accept any free gift whatsoever.

[@diamon999]

The copium from JoB is huge today. What a surprise!

[@Wokevolution]

the things are not the problem, its the FACT that he said he was going to stop cronyism within Politics? Stick to the FACTS he said?

[@TheMarlinspike]

Apparently only Tories are allowed to do this.

[@whatchwhatch628]

Why do people listen to this guy

[@johnbradley4671]

says the man that didn't stop when Boris Johnson had curtains put in NO 10

[@jeffreymelanson4549]

What the fudge is going on? Do you mean to say that politicians cannot run the country without receiving gifts like it is Christmas everyday? Sorry James for mentionning a Christian Holiday. Please don't blow a fuse ( blowing Starmer keeps you busy enough).

[@petercotterill5105]

Defending the indefensible

[@Issues-fy5sg]

Maybe politicians should have to foot the bill for the security required for their recreational activities.

[@AndyAndy-o2m]

Oh dear he's lost it

[@patriciabromley470]

Pathetic excuses

[@JB_inks]

Can i have £100,000 of freebies James? If not can you explain why not? Come on, James.

[@butlerpa100]

James grow up. Stop trying to defend the indefensible

[@deadcert]

bless his little socks to be honest its a bit sad now

[@andrewbest-zr9qe]

Snouts in the trough, that's the problem

[@topcatcoolio8807]

Obrien out , out, of touch.

[@geoffreyhodgson5017]

This is an embarrassing defence, James desperate "nothing to see hear, the tories did it" attempt to defend his hero Sir Kier..imagine if it was Corbyn ?