Angela Renner defends using donor’s New York apartment for vacation

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said she did not believe she had breached parliamentary rules by announcing she was living in a New York apartment owned by a Labor Party donor.

She told the BBC that Lord Waheed Ali was a friend and the trip was a “personal holiday” but she disclosed her use of the flat because he had donated to her in the past. “transparent”.

According to the Sunday Times In December, Rayner stayed at Lord Ali’s flat with Sam Tarry, then Labor MP for Ilford South.

Senior government figures, including the Prime Minister and his deputies, have been criticized for accepting donations of clothes and other gifts as Labor holds its annual conference.

But Renner said donations have been “part of our political life for some time” and that she had always followed the rules for reporting donations.

“I don’t think I broke any rules,” Rayner told BBC Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg about staying in a New York apartment with Tali.

“I own the rights to the apartment and I disclose that I own the rights to the apartment.

“I actually think I was being too transparent because I thought it was important even though it was a personal holiday because that person, as a friend, had donated to my deputy leadership in the past.”

She added: “This is important to me. People need to know where the donations are coming from.”

However, Renner was questioned as to whether she should also announce that Tali was living in the apartment with her.

Parliamentary rules state that MPs should declare any visits made outside the UK by them or anyone associated with them if a donor pays for “some or all of the visit” in connection with their “parliamentary or political activity”.

Renner insists she did not announce that Tali was staying at the apartment and did not break any rules.

“It tells whether you are engaged in parliamentary business or whether it is related to your parliamentary duties,” she said.

“That’s how I understand it. It’s a personal vacation.”

Renner added that she did not go to New York with Tali, but she met him there.