Keir Starmer buys personalised cufflinks given to him by Donald Trump as gift for his son
Sir Keir Starmer paid to keep a set of personalized cufflinks gifted to him by Donald Trump during the US president’s state visit last year.
The Prime Minister purchased the item, which would normally remain in the hands of Downing Street.
It is understood Sir Keir bought the cufflinks for his teenage son.
Details released by the Cabinet Office reveal Sir Keir also received a personalized necklace and golf club from the president, while his wife was given a pair of cowboy boots.
Initially Sir Keir only paid to keep the necklace, while other gifts were detained at No 10. But an updated list of ministers released on Tuesday confirmed that he had purchased both jewels.
Sir Keir and Lady Starmer hosted Mr Trump and his wife Melania at Checkers, the prime minister’s holiday resort, in September after the president stayed with the King and Queen at Windsor Castle.
They presented the President with a red ministry box and presented the First Lady with a silk scarf.
Ministers must declare any gift they receive worth more than £140 and either give it to their own ministry or pay the difference between the value and the £140 threshold to keep them.
The value and appearance of both the cufflinks and the necklace have not been publicly disclosed.
Sir Keir, like other prime ministers, has generally refused to receive gifts from world leaders, including Mr Trump’s previous items.
Sir Keir was given a bottle of special edition whiskey during the president’s visit to Scotland in July, while he was presented with a framed football jersey by Mr Trump during a trip to Washington in February. Both items were retained by Downing Street.
In September, Sir Keir was presented with a rugby jersey, leather boots and beer from Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese, clothes from publisher Condé Nast and a wood carving from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, none of which he paid to keep.
