| While we wait for the momentous decision on whether the Fed will cut interest rates to come through this evening in the UK, let's look at something a little closer to home. Perhaps the daily diet of stories about tickets, dresses, and specs that Keir Starmer and his wife have received seems a bit silly, but the initial story about £5,000 worth of clothes and personal shopping given to his wife by a Labour donor has rumbled on for enough time to become a significant issue. Anyone who has worked in Downing Street knows how stories like this consume everyone's attention: It's not edifying, but there's a huge market for revealing details on how someone funds their wardrobe and gigs. I could see it getting up to 10 days in the headlines, which was supposedly said by Alastair Campbell to be a danger period after which a politician can't survive. Some will say: "Well, what do we expect when we don't give the prime minister and his wife an allowance?" That might be true, but any government about to cut services and raise taxes shouldn't touch that debate with a selfie stick. Surely there are some in Labour who worry that stories of parties with peacocks come across as just as out of touch as stories of Boris Johnson's wallpaper. If they don't, how good is their understanding of the country?  Victoria and Keir Starmer in July. Photographer: Stefan Rousseau/Getty Images The man footing the bill for these goodies – Labour's Lord of the Ties, Waheed Alli – is profiled today by three of Bloomberg's experts across politics and business, who have spoken to more than a dozen Labour aides (words that strike fear into the heart of any comms team). Some tell them he's a loyal supporter doing a good job of raising finances for Labour, others "question the appropriateness of the many hats he wears for the governing party." They write: "The scrutiny raises uncomfortable questions of Starmer about the degree of access and influence exercised by a major donor and the potential for conflicts of interest, especially in recommending public appointments. Moreover, the leader's acceptance of gifts has opened him up to charges of hypocrisy — which he denies — after he spent much of his time in opposition criticizing the former Conservative administration's record on ethics and propriety." So, what of those economic reforms? Today Bloomberg runs news that the government is to dilute an aspect of its controversial workers' rights package. It had pledged to protect employees from so-called "workplace surveillance," but Readout writer Ailbhe Rea and political correspondent Ellen Milligan say it now won't be included in the Employment Rights Bill being published next month. Labour does still appear committed to ending "presenteeism" (when you think about it, an ugly neologism) and increasing flexible working. This gets a boost today from Bloomberg Opinion's Lionel Laurent. Taking a look at Amazon's push to bring to an end working from home, Lionel points out that it isn't clear the return en masse to the office will bring the productivity boost bosses want, but he suggests some ideas that might. It's a good read. Want this in your inbox each weekday? You can sign up here. | 
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