Rachel Reeves is being investigated by parliament’s standards commissioner it has emerged, less than 24 hours before voters go to the polls in England’s local elections.

The probe, into a “registration of interest” listed by the chancellor, will come as a blow to Labour ahead of what are expected to be a difficult set of elections.

MPs have to register within 28 days any interest which someone might reasonably consider to influence their actions or words.

The standards commissioner’s website says that its inquiry, which opened on Tuesday, is under paragraph 5 of the code of conduct.

This says that “members must fulfil conscientiously the requirements of the House in respect of the registration of interests in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests. New Members must register all their current financial interests, and any registrable benefits (other than earnings) received in the 12 months before their election within one month of their election, and Members must register any change in those registrable interests within 28 days.”

Earlier this year Ms Reeves said she would not accept future ‘freebie’ concert tickets after her decision to accept a seat in a box to watch Sabrina Carpenter reignited a furious row.

The chancellor faced fire from MPs, including a government minister, for receiving the hospitality as she prepared to slash £5 billion from the welfare bill.

Last year she also pledged she would not accept any more free clothes from donors after days of negative headlines over “wardrobe-gate”.

The abrupt change of policy followed a furious row just before Labour’s annual conference opened.

It erupted after it emerged Keir Starmer did not initially declare clothing bought for his wife Victoria by Waheed Alli, who has given more than £500,000 to Labour over the last 20 years.

The Labour leader himself was also embroiled in his own row over his decision to accept more than £100,000 in gifts.

In what was dubbed “passes for glasses”, Lord Alli, a prominent donor, also gave him tens of thousands of pounds worth of clothing and accommodation, including “multiple pairs” of spectacles.

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