Sir Keir Starmer stayed in a luxury central London apartment owned by Lord Alli of Norbury, the millionaire Labour donor, after leaving Downing Street.

The former prime minister was seen leaving the £18.35m flat in Covent Garden shortly after resigning as prime minister.

Lord Alli’s flat played a central role in the “freebie-gate” row that derailed the start of Sir Keir’s premiership and from which he never recovered.

After leaving Downing Street, Sir Keir returned to the property that caused him, and his wider party, a great deal of difficulty while he was in office.

It is understood that he moved in after leaving No 10 in mid-July because of security concerns about returning to his family home, which was targeted in a firebombing attack last May.

Shortly after he entered No 10, the then Labour leader began to face questions over the gifts he had accepted from the peer while he was the opposition leader, which included £16,200 for clothing and another £2,845 for spectacles.

When journalists and opposition MPs began trawling for other donations, they discovered Sir Keir’s extensive use of the Covent Garden bolthole.

It is not clear when he first visited the luxury apartment, which is set across two storeys and was bought by Lord Alli for £18.35m in early 2020.

Sir Keir was first sighted there in December 2021, when he borrowed the flat to record a Christmas message urging the public to follow Covid rules, including the guidance which said that people should work from home where possible.

Nine months later he was back at the property to film another party broadcast, this time a tribute on the passing of Elizabeth II.

In May 2024, with a general election looming, Sir Keir and his family moved into the penthouse, probably marking the first time they had lived there.

Read More: Starmer stayed at Lord Alli’s flat after leaving Downing Street