London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jul 11, 2026

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer paid £118,580 in tax since 2020

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer paid £118,580 in tax since 2020

Sir Keir Starmer paid £118,580 in UK tax over the last two years, according to financial records released by the Labour leader.

The records show he paid the tax on total earnings of £359,720 from income and capital gains since 2020.

Sir Keir's release comes a day after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak published details of his finances.

Mr Sunak became the first prime minister since David Cameron to disclose his tax affairs.

Sir Keir's income and capital gains last year were dwarfed by those of Mr Sunak, who earned more than £1.9m - nine times more than the Labour leader.

Mr Sunak's records show he paid more than £1m in UK tax on earnings of more than £4.7m between 2019 and 2022.

The Labour leader's records show the total UK tax he paid was:

*  £51,547 on total earnings of £147,633 in 2020/21

*  £67,033 on total earnings of £212,087 in 2021/22

His earnings last year included more than £85,000 in capital gains from the sale of a home he had bought with his sister, which she and her children had lived in.


'Trust in politics'


In 2020/21, the Labour leader, who is a barrister, received more than £21,000 for legal services. He stopped taking on legal work when he became Labour leader in April 2020.

He has also earned small amounts in book royalties in both the tax years reported in the document.

Last year his salary for being an MP was £76,961 and he received as extra £49,193 for being leader of the opposition.

Sir Keir has previously called for senior politicians - including the prime minister and the chancellor - to publish their tax returns "as a matter of course" to ensure there is "trust in politics".

At a press conference earlier, he said he was "glad" the prime minster had published his tax details but said "there's a wider point about choices here".

He said the record of tax policy under Conservative governments over the past decade showed "they always go after working people" rather than the wealthiest people in society.


'Cost of living'


When asked about his tax affairs earlier, Mr Sunak has he was pleased to be able to release information about his taxes "in the interest of transparency".

But "the most important thing", he said, "is what am I doing to help people in this country with the cost of living".

The release of tax details by senior politicians is a recent development in British politics, though neither of the previous two prime ministers, Boris Johnson and Liz Truss, released theirs.

The last prime minister to do so was Mr Cameron, who published a summary of the tax he had paid following revelations about his late father's offshore fund.

But like Mr Cameron and Mr Sunak, Sir Keir only released a summary of his income and gains, rather than an official tax return filed with HM Revenue & Customs.

In contrast, earlier this year, Nicola Sturgeon published her HMRC tax returns for the years since she became Scotland's first minister, and has urged other politicians, including Mr Sunak, to follow.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Scottish Fishing Industry Calls for Emergency Support Amid Rising Costs
UK Supports Stronger European Response to Russian Actions in Ukraine
Devon and Cornwall Police Release Suspect in Ann Widdecombe Murder Investigation
Scottish MPs Demand More Government Support for Fishing Industry
UK Aviation Sector Faces New Rules as Parliament Reviews Passenger Protection Reforms
King’s College London Disciplines Students Over Pro-Palestine Campus Protests
Ministry of Defence Expands Military Capabilities Through New Precision Strike Investment
United Kingdom Condemns Russian Treatment of Ukrainian Children at International Security Forum
House of Lords Reviews Civil Aviation Bill to Strengthen Passenger Rights and UK Aviation Competitiveness
UK Aerospace and Defence Industries Contribute Nearly Forty-Seven Billion Pounds to Economy
UK Government Advances Consultation on Possible Social Media Ban for Children Under Sixteen
United Kingdom Ratifies Global High Seas Treaty to Protect Marine Biodiversity
United Kingdom Joins United States Precision Strike Missile Programme With One Hundred Ninety Million Pound Investment
UK Senior NHS Doctors Vote for Further Strike Action Over Pay and Contract Disputes
BBC Leadership Resigns After Donald Trump Launches Ten Billion Dollar Defamation Lawsuit
UK Fiscal Watchdog Warns Andy Burnham Government Faces One Hundred Billion Pound Budget Challenge
The AI Invoice Shock: Layoffs Didn't Save Managers Money — They Cost Them More
Concern: Sexually Transmitted Bacterium Among Men Develops Antibiotic Resistance
Following Massive Investor Demand: SK Hynix Raises 26.5 Billion Dollars on Nasdaq
Passenger Partially Pulled Out of Ryanair Jet After Cabin Window Fails Mid-Flight
After Four Years, and Under a Heavy Veil of Secrecy: King Charles Meets His Grandchildren, Harry and Meghan's Children
Cross-Party MPs Call for National Climate Emergency Broadcast
Bayeux Tapestry Arrives in the United Kingdom for Landmark Exhibition
United Kingdom Launches Modern Slavery Prevention Programme in Vietnam
Police Warn Against Misinformation Following Disorder in Glasgow
Pension Reform Takes Effect to Consolidate Workplace Savings Industry
Treasury and Bank of England Monitor Economy as Energy Price Pressures Ease
Government Orders Treasury Reform of Disciplinary Procedures Following Civil Servant's Death
Ofcom to Require Major Technology Platforms to Block Scam Advertisements
Labour Apologizes Over Gaza Position in Bid to Rebuild Support
High Court Rules UK-France Asylum Agreement Protection Cuts Were Unlawful
Metropolitan Police Open Murder Investigation Into Death of Former MP Ann Widdecombe
University College London Report Proposes Replacing Council Tax and Stamp Duty With National Property Tax
Treasury Places Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Oracle Under New UK Financial System Oversight Rules
Severe Heatwave Drives Dangerous Ground-Level Ozone Pollution Across Two Thirds of European Union
Westminster in Freefall as Farage's By-Election Gamble Triggers Broader Systemic Crises
Institutional Fractures and Political Volatility Reshape Britain's Domestic Landscape
Deadly Fire, Health Emergencies and Political Upheaval Shape a Volatile Global News Cycle
UK Energy Strategy Focuses on Storage and Offshore Wind to Support Renewable Transition
Regional Governments Gain Greater Role in Britain’s Infrastructure and Economic Strategy
Britain Strengthens Technology Sovereignty Through Tougher Artificial Intelligence Competition Rules
UK Government Expands Artificial Intelligence Use Across Public Services Despite Privacy Debate
UK Universities Warn of Financial Pressure After Sharp Fall in International Student Enrolment
Welsh Government Completes Rail Nationalisation With One Point Five Billion Pound Modernisation Plan
Northern Ireland Records Export Growth as Companies Benefit From Dual UK and EU Market Access
Greater Manchester Launches Two Billion Pound Plan to Convert Empty Commercial Sites Into Housing
National Grid Connects Europe’s Largest Battery Storage Facility in Yorkshire
UK Defence Ministry Plans Royal Navy Autonomous Fleet Deployment to Indo-Pacific
Scotland Approves Europe’s Largest Floating Offshore Wind Project Near Aberdeen
Competition and Markets Authority Blocks Forty Billion Pound Technology Deal Over AI Security Concerns
×