Copyright dailystar
The Prime Minister has installed a ‘big sports screen’ at his country residence - so he can watch the football. Sir Keir Starmer said it was the "one change" he has made at Chequers in his 15 months in the job. He did not install the giant screen so he can keep abreast of important global events such as Russia ’s invasion of Ukraine , US President Donald Trump ’s latest sanctions or the Israel-Palentine conflict. He said he did it so he can keep tabs on the fortunes of his beloved Arsenal . The PM is a lifelong fan of the Gooners and season ticket holder. Starmer told BBC Radio 3 culture show Private Passions the screen allowed him to keep up to date on Arsenal news. The confession came after show host Michael Berkeley asked the PM if ever played the Chequers’ Rosewood Steinway piano. He admitted his children occasionally did but suggested he preferred his television room for sport. Sir Keir said: “There have been occasions where we have used that piano. “The children have used that piano. “But we’re in the slightly smaller room now where the only adaptation is this rather large screen here which will pick up every sports channel that will show any Arsenal games. “So that’s the one change I have made to Chequers so far - a big sports screen to watch Arsenal.” Sources said since he became Prime Minister he has struggled to attend matches in person. Sir Keir has declared thousands of pounds worth of tickets and hospitality for Arsenal matches from the club itself, other teams, the Premier League and commercial companies, since becoming Labour leader in 2020. Last year he was forced to defend his decision to accept corporate hospitality from Arsenal. The Premier League club made two seats available to Sir Keir, a season-ticket holder, in the corporate area of Emirates Stadium. But the PM said it was not a perk and he had been advised it would cost the taxpayer more in security costs if he used his normal seat. He said then he would ‘rather be in the stands’ but that accepting a corporate ticket was a ‘perfectly sensible arrangement’. It came amid recent scrutiny of gifts received by both the PM and his wife Victoria, including clothes gifted to her by a Labour donor. Last year he told the BBC he had been following Arsenal from the stands for ‘many, many years’ but ‘a lot of policing’ would be required for him to continue doing this as PM. He said it would cost the taxpayer ‘a fortune’ in extra security for him to watch games from the stands and people would consider it ‘pretty self-indulgent if I said I’m not going to move from the stands, even if it costs the taxpayer more money’. “Frankly, I’d rather be in the stands, but I’m not going to ask the taxpayer to indulge me to be in the stands, when I could go and sit somewhere else,” he said. “That’s for me, a common sense situation.” Sir Keir has not revealed who paid for the screen.
