Blair gives cash to Labour Party
Tony Blair has joined the ranks of wealthy Labour donors, Electoral
Commission figures show.
The ex PM - who has earned up to £12m since leaving No 10 - gave £7,500
to the party in September this year.
His ex-ministers David Blunkett and Stephen Byers also donated cash in
the same three month period.
Labour received more than £5m in private donations over the period,
outstripping the Conservatives, who received £4,060,633.
This breaks a run of 10 quarters when the Conservatives have beaten
Labour in the funding stakes.
Labour also converted £2.25m loans into gifts - £2m from former science
minister Lord Sainsbury and £250,000 from businessman Sir Gulam Noon,
helping it to escape the financial crisis it was facing.
The figures also included the £1m donated to the party by author JK
Rowling.
Trade union support
The final months of Tony Blair's premiership saw a police investigation
into allegations Labour donors had been offered honours in return for
cash, although all concerned denied wrongdoing and no charges were
brought.
The ex-PM is estimated to have earned about £12m since quitting as PM,
from public speaking engagements, a £4.6m book deal and about £2.5m for
advising two banks.
He made his donation to Labour ahead of the party's conference in
Manchester, which saw Gordon Brown launch a political fight back after
months of dismal poll ratings and leadership rumblings.
Mr Blair's one-time spin doctor Alastair Campbell also gave a total of
£12,500 in the three month period and some of Mr Blair's closest
political allies from his time at Number 10 also poured cash into the
party coffers.
Former Home Secretay David Blunkett gave £5,000 and ex-Transport
Secretary Stephen Byers gave £2,000.
Other Labour figures to donate cash to the party in the three month
period include former Paymaster General Geoffrey Robinson and culture
minister Barbara Follett.
Celebrities included on the register of donors include Manchester United
manager Sir Alex Ferguson, a longstanding Labour donor, who gave £7,500
and Nancy Dell'Ollio, former partner of ex-England manager Sven Goran
Ericksson, who donated £15,000.
Among unions, Unison gave two large donations of £735,000 and £362,625
in the period covered, in addition to smaller gifts and Unite donated
£303,352.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.
Published: 2008/11/26 16:07:22 GMT
Wednesday, 26 November 2008
Posts
