August 26th 2024.
After the July election, Lord Alli was granted a special pass to enter Number 10, the official residence of the Prime Minister, for several weeks. This caused quite a stir as the new Labour government had been facing accusations of cronyism for over a week. The latest revelation about Lord Alli, who happens to be a major donor to the PM, may prove to be the biggest headache for Keir Starmer yet.
It has been uncovered that Lord Alli, a media mogul, was given temporary access to Downing Street shortly after the election. This has raised concerns among the Tories, with John Glen, the shadow paymaster general, stating that such a pass is typically only given to civil servants and special advisors. In a letter to Cabinet Secretary Simon Case, Glen expressed deep concern over the fact that a Labour donor was granted this privilege, giving them unrestricted access to the heart of the government, after making significant donations to the party and even to Starmer himself. These donations included a whopping £500,000 to the party and tens of thousands to Starmer, which were reportedly used for his personal expenses such as new suits and glasses.
Lord Alli is no stranger to the public eye, as he served as Labour's chief fundraiser during the General Election, responsible for persuading potential donors to contribute to the party's funds. He has also been a Labour life peer in the House of Lords since 1998, when he was ennobled by former Prime Minister Tony Blair. In response to the controversy, Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden assured Times Radio that Alli may have needed the pass for a short period of time after the election, and that his contributions to the Labour Party are highly valued. He also stated that there was no conflict of interest with the rules in this matter.
However, there are still lingering questions about why Lord Alli required the pass during that time, what his role was during his temporary access, and why it was eventually returned. John Glen's letter to the cabinet secretary also raised concerns about whether any other Labour donors were given similar security passes for Number 10, and whether Starmer or his chief of staff, Sue Gray, had requested the pass for Alli.
In addition to this controversy, there has been another recent case involving a Labour donor. Ian Corfield, a former banker who donated £20,000 to Labour MPs, including £2,000 to now-Chancellor Rachel Reeves, resigned from his position at the Treasury after facing criticism for his appointment. This has been seen as a display of hypocrisy by the Conservatives, as Labour has frequently accused the Tories of cronyism while in opposition. However, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Darren Jones, defended the decision to appoint Corfield, stating that it was completely appropriate and in accordance with the rules. He also emphasized that there was no evidence of any wrongdoing.
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