Keir Starmer paid to keep personalised necklace given by Donald Trump
Sir Keir Starmer paid to keep a necklace he received from Donald Trump during the US president’s state visit.
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Details released by the Cabinet Office show the Prime Minister received the personalised necklace, along with cufflinks and a golf club from the president, while his wife was given a pair of cowboy boots.
But Sir Keir only paid to keep the necklace, with the other gifts being held by Downing Street.
The cost of the necklace has not been released.
Sir Keir and Lady Starmer hosted Mr Trump and his wife, Melania, at Chequers, the Prime Minister’s country retreat, in September following the president’s stay with the King and Queen at Windsor Castle.
They presented the president with a ministerial red box and gave the first lady a silk scarf.
Ministers must declare any gift they receive worth more than £140 and either hand it to their department, or pay the difference between the value and the £140 threshold to keep it.
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Sir Keir, like other prime ministers, has generally declined to purchase gifts from world leaders, including previous items from Mr Trump.
In July, during the president’s visit to Scotland, Sir Keir received a bottle of special edition whisky, while during a trip to Washington in February he was given a framed football shirt by Mr Trump. Both items were retained by Downing Street.
In September Sir Keir was given a rugby league shirt, leather boots and beer from Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, clothes from publisher Conde Nast and a wooden carving from Palestinian president Mahmood Abbas, none of which he paid to keep.