Lord Alli funded at least seven Cabinet ministers

Lord Alli funded at least seven Cabinet ministers in a years-long campaign to reshape the Labour Party, The Telegraph can disclose.

The Labour peer has handed out £314,147 to members of Sir Keir Starmer’s front bench as part of a string of donations spanning almost two decades.

The donations suggest Lord Alli backed candidates running against Jeremy Corbyn during the hard-Left’s time in control of the party, before ramping up donations under Sir Keir’s premiership.

The Prime Minister and Angela Rayner, his deputy, top the list, taking £155,122 and £72,450 respectively from the peer in benefits and cash donations, records show.

Other beneficiaries include Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary, who has been handed £14,600 by the media entrepreneur since 2021, as well as Ed Miliband, the Energy Secretary, who was given £10,000 last year.

Lord Alli has been thrust into the spotlight in a row over clothes donated to Lady Starmer, the Prime Minister’s wife.

After working in the background of politics for decades, his influence in the party has grown under Sir Keir, and he has donated eight times more to Labour HQ under his premiership than when Mr Corbyn was leader, it can be revealed.

Lord Alli made £43,404 in donations to the central party during Mr Corbyn’s leadership, compared with £352,747 so far under Sir Keir.

He also donated to other MPs and candidates running against Mr Corbyn in the 2015 and 2016 leadership contests.

They included Liz Kendall, now Work and Pensions Secretary, a standard bearer for the Labour Right who was given £15,475 and Andy Burnham, now mayor of Greater Manchester, who was given £11,000.

The figures come from public data via the Electoral Commission and the Parliamentary Register of Interests.

Sir Keir Starmer: £155,122 (2020-2024)

The entrepreneur is Sir Keir’s biggest personal donor and has donated £947,032 overall to the Labour Party and its candidates since 2004.

He has given £155,122 to Sir Keir alone since 2020, including £18,685 towards work clothes and several pairs of glasses in the past year.

Sir Keir also repeatedly used an £18 million penthouse owned by the Labour donor while campaigning to enter No 10, as part of accommodation he donated with an estimated value of £20,000.

On Thursday, Baroness Harman, the former deputy Labour leader, said Sir Keir should stop trying to “justify” accepting gifts as it is “making things worse”.

She told Sky News’ Electoral Dysfunction podcast that the row was “out of line” for the Prime Minister and that he should change his approach rather than “doubling down”.

She said: “You can either double down on it and try and justify it or you can just say it was probably a misstep, if I had my time again I wouldn’t do it and therefore I’m going to auction for charity or something.

“It’s not a hanging offence, but I think doubling down and trying to justify it is making things worse.

“He’s not a sort of money-focused, greedy type person. He is a person of public service. So this is slightly out of line. And he’ll be wanting to deal with it.”

Angela Rayner: £72,450 (2020-2024)

The Deputy Prime Minister has received donations worth £72,450 from Lord Alli since 2020.

As well as paying some of her office costs, Lord Alli also gave Ms Rayner the “use of a flat as accommodation for five nights” in New York over the new year, at a cost of £1,250.

He has also donated £17,400 to her since March last year to support her in her “capacity as Deputy Leader of the Labour Party”.

David Lammy: £32,500 (2005-2024)

Lord Alli’s first donation to the Foreign Secretary was in 2005 for £10,000, when Mr Lammy was a member of the then Labour government. This was followed by another £10,000 in 2007 “towards the cost of employing a social policy research assistant”.

Mr Lammy was also given £12,500 “towards paying for additional staff for my office” in November 2023.

Defending Sir Keir and his wife, Mr Lammy said the couple had accepted donations so they could “look their best” to represent the UK when other countries allowed lavish, taxpayer-funded budgets for clothing for their leaders.

He told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme: “The truth is that successive prime ministers, unless you’re a billionaire like the last one, do rely on donations, political donations, so they can look their best, both in the hope of representing the country, if you’re in the opposition, or indeed as prime minister.”

Bridget Phillipson: £14,000 (2023)

The Education Secretary was handed £14,000 “to host a number of events, including on behalf of the shadow education team”.

The first, on Nov 12 2023, was for £10,000 and the second was made on Dec 11 for £4,000. Ms Phillipson has yet to speak publicly about the donations or explain what the events were for.

Ed Miliband: £10,000 (2023)

The Energy Secretary received £10,000 via the Labour Party in a donation from Lord Alli to “pay the salary of a member of staff in my office” in March 2023.

Wes Streeting: £14,600 (2021-22)

The Labour peer donated £14,600 to the Health Secretary, data shows.

This includes £10,000 towards “staffing costs in my office” in August 2021 and £4,600 for “catering services for a fundraising event for me and another MP” in March 2022.

Liz Kendall: £15,475 (2015)

Lord Alli donated almost £16,000 to the now Work and Pensions Secretary around the time of the 2015 Labour leadership contest.

He handed over £6,000 in May and £2,475 in June of that year, followed by £7,000 in December.

The Labour Party has been contacted for comment.