Tories demand Starmer must ‘come clean’ over how much his voice coach cost – and who paid for it, as former actress is pictured for first time since scandal erupted_Nhy
Sir Keir Starmer must ‘come clean’ over who paid for his voice coaching, MPs have said.
The Prime Minister received five years of voice coaching from Leonie Mellinger, a former Royal Shakespeare Company actress – including in-person meetings during Covid lockdown.
Now Shadow Paymaster General Richard Holden has written to Sir Keir asking for transparency over how much the training cost, who paid for it and whether it was properly declared.
In a letter seen by The Mail on Sunday, Mr Holden asks the PM: ‘What was the source of the funds used to pay for her services?’, adding: ‘This is essential for ensuring proper transparency and accountability across government and to ensure that you have followed the rules at all times.’
He also points out: ‘Your largest donor – Lord Alli – was found, in October 2024, to have breached four parliamentary rules over his registration of interests.’
Questioned last night as to who paid for the voice coaching, Downing Street declined to comment.
Ms Mellinger, who once shared a stage with Sir Patrick Stewart, provided Sir Keir with voice coaching for five years, helping him with public speaking and media appearances.
The work began in early 2017 when Sir Keir was Jeremy Corbyn‘s Shadow Brexit Secretary. It continued until late 2021, after he’d done an interview with Piers Morgan for Life Stories on ITV and given a well-received party conference speech.
The voice coaching began in early 2017 when Sir Keir was Jeremy Corbyn’s Shadow Brexit Secretary, and continued until late 2021
The Prime Minister received five years of voice coaching from Leonie Mellinger (pictured enjoying a coffee outing in South London this week) including in-person meetings during lockdown
Shadow Paymaster General Richard Holden has written to Sir Keir asking for transparency over how much the training cost, who paid for it and whether it was properly declared
Controversially, No 10 has also said that Ms Mellinger was a ‘core part of a small team’ who helped Sir Keir in a meeting on Christmas Eve 2020, during strict Tier-4 Covid restrictions.
Mr Holden told the MoS: ‘With so many questions to answer about lockdown laws and his voice coach, it’s beyond time for Sir Keir Starmer to come clean.
‘He has been unwilling to reveal any more details regarding his voice coach and her Christmas Eve dash to Labour HQ, much less whether her services over a significant period were paid by Labour or indeed donated, and if so by whom, and where this was declared.
‘With Lord Alli as Sir Keir’s biggest personal donor, it’s only fair to ask if he paid – and if not Lord Alli, then who?’
A spokesman for Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has said it was ‘almost unimaginable to disagree’ that there had been ‘a clear breach of the Covid rules’.
Labour has stated that Ms Mellinger had ‘key worker’ status during the pandemic, that the regulations were followed and that Sir Keir believed it was not reasonably possible for her to carry out the work with him from home.
On her website, Ms Mellinger says she is ‘happy to offer coaching sessions via video’.
Another MP said Sir Keir should clarify who paid for the coaching and added: ‘He’s been holier-than-thou for too long.’
Ms Mellinger, who’s worked for 20 years as a communications skills coach, has said of Sir Keir’s voice work: ‘The transformation has been enormous.
‘We worked together for five years and I was part of that core team. I’d be there for every communication and rehearse him, and he really worked at it, and I absolutely applaud him for that, because he took the time to put the work in and it’s a lot of work when it doesn’t come naturally.’
