With Morgan McSweeney summoned for questioning before the foreign affairs select committee, the Peter Mandelson scandal continues to decimate the ailing Starmer administration. There are now calls for a public inquiry into Labour Together, the think tank used by McSweeney to propel his favoured candidate into power. On Monday, current director Allison Phillips declared that the organisation would be changing their name and no longer donating to individual MPs.
However, away from the Whitehall soap opera, many are ignoring the fact that Labour Together continues to operate as a limited company. Indeed, last month alone, they raked in another £500,000. Here are the names of the individuals keeping Labour Together afloat:
On March 4th, lobbyist Gary Lubner gave Labour Together £175,000. This followed a £50,000 donation on February 24th, just one day after Peter Mandelson was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office. Back in December, Lubner gave Labour Together a further £235,000.
On March 13th, Gary Lubner gave £20,000 to another group called “Labour to Win”, who he also gave £20,000 in October. Lubner has previously funded MP Sarah Sackman, appointed by Starmer first as solicitor-general and now Courts Minister. Sackman, a key proponent of David Lammy’s proposals to curb jury trials, was also financed directly by Labour Together.
In fact, Gary Lubner has bankrolled a whole set of Labour MPs under Starmer, including Morgan McSweeney’s wife Imogen Walker, cabinet member Jake Richards, and Labour Friends of Israel vice-chair Mike Tapp. Lubner also pumped money into the Labour Together project.
As is the case with Morgan McSweeney, Gary Lubner’s “picks” have mysteriously risen to the top of Starmer’s Labour. Now Justice Minister David Lammy received a £70,000 “gift” from Lubner. His replacement as Foreign Secretary, Yvette Cooper, was given a more generous £210,000 to pay for her staff.
The second figure still bankrolling Labour Together is David Sainsbury, who made a £125,000 donation to the outfit on March 3rd. This was preceded by another £125,000 payment on December 3rd. Under Tony Blair, Sainsbury was reportedly seated “at one of the top tables” at a Labour Friends of Israel fundraising event.
In October, David Sainsbury made two separate £20,000 cash payments to Bridget Phillipson, Labour’s Education Minister. Phillipson, another LFI supporter, has received money from pro-Israeli lobbyists Stuart Roden and Trevor Chinn. She has also previously accepted a £3,000 donation from ELNET, who list the Israeli Foreign Ministry as one of their “partners”. A 2024 ELNET delegation to the Israeli state was led by Jeffrey Epstein’s “best pal” Peter Mandelson. When Mandelson was later installed as US ambassador, Starmer told him: “After many years of our discussions, we get to work together side by side.”
Bridget Phillipson’s unsuccessful bid for Labour deputy leader was backed by the Jewish Labour Movement. JLM’s national chair, Ella Rose-Jacobs, previously worked for the Israeli Embassy. Their vice-chair, Izzy Lenga, reportedly participated in military training with the IDF.
In October, Sainsbury gave a £44,400 “non-cash” donation to Starmer’s chief secretary Darren Jones. Jones previously received over £57,000 “in kind” from Labour Together. He also received “in kind” support from intelligence firm Hakluyt, a former employer of Olly Robbins.
On June 7th 2024, one day after Starmer’s election, the Labour Party registered a payment of £2.5 million from David Sainsbury. More recently, he has been a key financer of Labour Together. Apparently, the McSweeney-Simons scandals have done little to halt operations.
The third person still funding Labour Together is Sainsbury’s daughter, Francesca Perrin. On March 31st, she gave the organisation £100,000. This year, Perrin has also given two Labour MPs £30,000: Wes Streeting aide Zubir Ahmed and Gary Lubner-backed David Pinto-Duschinsky.
Perrin has funded several high-ranking Labour MPs in the last few months. Bridget Phillipson received £15,000. Josh Simons £30,000. Wes Streeting and Shabana Mahmood were given £50,000 each. Shabana has also been a major beneficiary of Labour Together support.
Like Epstein-associate Peter Mandelson, Starmer also wanted to give Matthew Doyle an ambassador job. In 2013, Doyle spoke at an event organised by Labour Friends of Israel. The event was supported by another lobby group called “We Believe in Israel”, led by Luke Akehurst.
Last week, Lindsay Hoyle ejected MPs Lee Anderson and Zarah Sultana from the House of Commons for calling Starmer a liar. The Speaker’s father, Douglas Hoyle, was a co-founder of Labour Friends of Israel, a lobby group that refuses to reveal its donors. McSweeney concealed over £730,000 in Labour Together donations.
For years, Morgan McSweeney and Labour Together operated in the shadows. Labour Friends of Israel director Michael Rubin said: “Morgan was essential in dragging Labour back to sanity.”
With dead duck Prime Minister Starmer talking about leading Labour into the next election whilst MPs plot behind his back, “sanity” is the last word I would use.
Edited version of this article published by the Canary.