Keir Starmer is already facing a meltdown as he kicks off his first Labour conference in power less than three months after an historic election landslide.The PM has admitted he needs to stabilise his government as he struggles to contain fury over ‘freebies’, a wave of bitter briefing about his chief aide Sue Gray, and the backlash at axing winter fuel payments.Anglela Rayner was left to field questions on TV this morning, as Sir Keir shunned the traditional leader’s slot on the BBC. She insisted it was a ‘feature of our politics’ that politicians take gifts. She denied breaking rules over a free holiday stay in New York at the apartment of a major Labour donor – after it emerged she did not declare that another MP stayed there at the same time. Ms Rayner also tried to play down the internal warfare over Ms Gray, saying she has a ‘huge amount of respect in the Cabinet’. Asked by Laura Kuenssberg if the No10 chief of staff would still be in her job by Christmas, Ms Rayner said: ‘I think so, absolutely.’Sir Keir is in Liverpool for the first day of the annual gathering, but hopes that it might be a victory lap after the extraordinary victory in July have been summarily dashed.A grim poll by Opinium found Sir Keir’s personal ratings have plummeted by 45 points since the summer, with only 24 per cent of voters saying he is doing a good job. Half of the public viewed him negatively, taking his overall net rating to minus 26 – slightly worse than Rishi Sunak at minus 25. Sir Keir’s first approval rating as PM was plus 19.In other developments at conference today:Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said two 40th birthday celebrations funded with a £14,000 donation were held in a ‘work context’; Sir Keir is facing fresh claims about accepting freebies after being pictured with Ms Gray at a Tottenham match;Rachel Reeves and Sir Keir have tried to play down fears about the amount of pain to come in the Budget; Ms Reeves has said she ‘leads by example’ by going into the office five days a week;  Angela Rayner took the main slot on the BBC’s flagship political programme this morning, insisting she had not broken rules over a freebie holiday stay in New York  Ms Rayner arriving at the conference venue in Liverpool this morning Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner arrive at Labour conference in Liverpool yesterday Chancellor Rachel Reeves has suggested she accepted clothes donations because she does not like shopping much A shock poll shows Sir Keir’s personal rating has plummeted by 45 points since July In an interview with the Observer, Sir Keir acknowledged that persistent infighting over Ms Gray’s role and salary was damaging and he has to act.’It is my job to do something about that and I accept that responsibility. And that just damages everybody,’ he said.Sir Keir also tried to head off growing alarm about the threat of tax hikes and pubic spending cuts in the looming Budget on October 30.He suggested working Brits are already facing too high a burden, and dismissed the idea of a return to austerity.  ‘I’m acutely aware that our public services are on their knees, and there will always be some that say there’s an argument for deep cuts. I ran a public service,’ he said. ‘I know what cuts feel like. And I know that a lot of them are cut to the bone. And therefore we have got to make sure that our public services are functioning properly.’In a nod to anxiety about his doom-laden warnings about the state of the country since July, Sir Keir indicated he would try to be more positive.’I want to answer the ‘why’ question as well as the ‘what’ question,’ he said.’We do need to say why and explain and set out and describe the better Britain that this ladders up to.’Sir Keir, deputy leader Ms Rayner and Chancellor Rachel Reeves are all facing questions over accepting thousands of pounds from donors for clothing – and even spectacles. Sir Keir’s chief aide Sue Gray has been at the centre of a bitter Labour briefing warDowning Street desperately tried to draw a line under the furore on Friday evening by announcing that none of the three would accept donations for clothes in future. Ms Reeves used an interview in the Sunday Times to argue that she took gifts because she is ‘not into shopping’. ‘A friend wanted to help me in the election, as I am not massively into clothes and shopping,’ she said. Ms Rayner said today: ‘I get that people are frustrated, in particular the circumstances that we’re in, but donations for gifts and hospitality and monetary donations have been a feature of our politics for a very long time.’People can look it up and see what people have had donations for, and the transparency is really important.’She added: ‘I get that people are angry, I get that people are upset.’I think the transparency is there so people can see that. Now, if there is a national debate about how we fund politics and how we do that, and I hear that people are frustrated with that, but we have a system at the moment that says if you get donations, that has to be declared and the rules have to apply to everybody.’I think that is correct so people can see where you’ve had donations and where that potential influence is so that people can see the transparency.’Meanwhile, Ms Rayner was under fresh scrutiny today over a free trip to a donor’s £2million New York apartment at New Year, with claims she was accompanied by an MP friend.According to the Sunday Times, Sam Tarry, then the Ilford South MP, stayed with Ms Rayner at Lord Alli’s flat in Manhattan but his presence was not declared. He reportedly paid for flights but benefited from free accommodation. The deputy PM’s aides said advice was taken and Mr Tarry’s stay did not need to be officially registered.Ms Rayner insisted she paid for the rest of her trip, suggesting she had gone beyond the obligations to be transparent about the gift. ‘I don’t believe I’ve broken any rules,’ she said. In a separate interview on Sky News, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson was grilled about having her 40th birthday party celebrations funded by a £14,000 donation from Lord Alli. Ms Phillipson said the events were held ‘in a work context’.’The reason that we can have this conversation is because colleagues have followed the rules. I followed the rules,’ she said.’I’ve set out in the register of interests what donations were for, who they were from, and that’s there for the public to see.’What I would say is that, of course, it is frustrating to be having this conversation with you this morning, not talking about the wider agenda that we’re setting up here in Liverpool, because we have delivered an awful lot in the very short space of time that we have been in government.’And of course, this is a distraction.’The row over the winter fuel allowance is still raging, with unions vowing a bid to force a rethink – with the potential for a showdown vote of delegates tomorrow. In a range of announcements at conference, the PM has announced new ‘planning passports’, aimed at densifying urban areas by giving default approval to building works if they meet high standards for design and quality.Ms Rayner will vow to build ‘homes fit for the future’ in her speech, including by introducing new protections for tenants against mould, damp and fire safety defects.Defence Secretary John Healey has urged gamers to sign up to the military as he signalled there would be a relaxation in army recruitment rules amid efforts to counter foreign cyber threats.Ms Reeves said her priorities for the autumn Budget include ‘protecting living standards’, as she ruled out proposals for a wealth tax.With the conference taking place against a backdrop of rising tensions in the Middle East, hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters have gathered in Liverpool to urge Labour to change its approach to the conflict.