The prime minister has defended accepting accommodation worth £20,000 to help his 16-year-old son study for his GCSE exams during the general election campaign

Speaking to Sky’s political editor Beth Rigby in New York, Sir Keir Starmer said: “We had a situation where the election was called not when we expected it.

“My son happened to be in the middle of his GCSEs. That means there are a lot of journalists outside the front door and in the street.

“I’m not complaining about that. But if you’re 13, as my girl is, if you’re 16, as my boy is, that’s quite hard to navigate when you’re concentrating on GCSEs.”

Sir Keir said he told his son he would find somewhere for him to stay without having to walk through a pack of journalists every day, and that is when Lord Alli offered to make the “safe, secure” flat “available” to them.

“No money changed hands, there was no cash adjustment,” the PM insisted.

‘Worrying’ to have protesters outside home

Sir Keir went on: “Do I find protesters outside my front door when I have children in there worrying? Yes, I absolutely do.

“Do I want my son doing his GCSEs walking through journalists [and] protesters? No I don’t.

“I promised him, my wife and I promised our children we would protect them, and we will.”

‘Put that to me’: Tetchy PM hits back at questions

Beth Rigby pushed the PM on the fact he has made the case to the country there will be a “shared struggle” to get the UK back on track economically, and we are “all in it together” – but accepting such donations appears to contradict that spirit.

Becoming increasing irate, Sir Keir replied: “If you’re putting to me that I should have stayed in my Kentish Town home and disrupted my son’s GCSEs, that that was the right thing to do, then I think you should put that to me.

“I wanted him to be able to do his GCSEs in peace… And any parent would have made the same decision.”