Lord Alli argued for mandatory voting to reduce ‘influence of money in politics’

Lord Alli proposed mandatory voting to reduce the “influence of money in politics”, the Telegraph can disclose.

The millionaire donor, 59, made the comments weeks after paying for clothes and other gifts for the Prime Minister and donating thousands to the Labour Party in the run up to the General Election.

Sir Keir, Angela Rayner, the Deputy Prime Minister, and Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, have all made clear they will stop accepting donations for clothes now they are in office amid a row over gifts.

Lord Alli has given the Prime Minister tens of thousands of pounds to spend on suits and glasses, while Lady Starmer has also been given £5,000 worth of clothes and personal shopping.

Angela Rayner’s team have admitted that a £3,550 donation from Lord Alli in June 2024, described in the register as “donation in kind for undertaking parliamentary duties”, was actually clothing while Ms Reeves has received almost £7,500 in clothing from a friend since 2003.

Sir Keir also received £20,000 in accommodation from Lord Alli during the election campaign which was for the use of an £18 million penthouse in the Covent Garden area while Rayner accepted five nights in a flat for a “personal holiday” in New York over New Year, valued at £1,250.

The Prime Minister has been accused of cronyism after the peer was given a temporary pass to Number 10, which was later given back, despite having no official central government role.

It has now emerged that the peer, who joined the Lords 26 years ago, criticised the influence of money on politics while calling for mandatory voting.

Speaking in July as he responded to the King’s Speech, Lord Alli launched an attack on the Conservatives who he had said had undermined the “fundamental principles that decency and fair play should underpin our elections”.

He said that turnout was low because elections were won on enough votes in the right seats and that the Tories had “systematically disenfranchised many voters they believed would not support them” with individual voter registration forms and checks on voter ID.

Lord Alli, who has donated £500,000 to Labour since 2020, said the only winners of low turnout were “extremists” and that he backed votes for 16 and 17-year-olds before suggesting Parliament examine two other measures.

He said that there was the “easy” option of automatic enrolment and the “more difficult” alternative of mandatory voting.

“This is not a revolutionary idea,” he said. “Indeed, some form of mandatory voting exists in over 22 countries, including Australia, Belgium, Luxembourg, Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Ecuador, Singapore and Uruguay.

“What do we see in those countries? We see increased voter turnout and reduced influence of money in politics.”

He added: “We do not have to sit back and watch extremism rise in our society – extremism built on the back of fewer people participating in our elections. We can do something about it.”

The Labour manifesto said that it would “protect democracy by strengthening the rules around donations to political parties”.

The document added that the party would improve voter registration and address inconsistencies in voter ID rules as well as giving 16 and 17-year-olds the right to vote.

The Conservatives said that rather than tampering with the electoral system Labour had its own questions to answer.

A Tory spokesman said: “This is just another Labour plot to fiddle with the electorate like lowering the voting age.

“Automatic registration would mean more inaccurate entries and open the door to electoral fraud.

“Instead of lobbying Labour to tinker with democracy, Lord Alli should explain why he needs a pass to No 10.

“Not voting is a legitimate choice and the police and courts have better things to do than enforce fines for those who choose not to. Criminalising non-voting would do absolutely nothing to increase accountability at the local or national level.”

There is no suggestion Lord Alli was referring to donations of legal gifts when discussing the influence of money in politics. There is no suggestion Lord Alli broke any rules.

Downing Street said the Labour Government was not pursuing mandatory voting.