The UK’s main opposition Labour Party raised £7.2 million ($8.65 million) in donations between October and December last year, £2.4 million more than the governing Conservative Party.
(Bloomberg) — The UK’s main opposition Labour Party raised £7.2 million ($8.65 million) in donations between October and December last year, £2.4 million more than the governing Conservative Party.
Data from the Electoral Commission published Thursday show that Labour’s donations in the final quarter of 2022 included £2 million from David Sainsbury, former chairman of supermarket chain J Sainsbury Plc. Sainsbury was a major donor to Labour during the premierships of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, but stepped back under the hard-left leadership of Jeremy Corbyn.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives raised £4.8 million during his first period in Downing Street, up from £3.1 million in the previous quarter.
Labour has been deepening its ties with the business community and attracting more donors ahead of a likely general election next year. Keir Starmer’s party has enjoyed a consistent 20-point lead over the Tories in recent months.
Read More: Former Tory Donors Turn Their Support to Starmer’s Labour Party
Separately, the Conservatives are having more difficulty with their finances. The party faced a £25 million shortfall at the start of February because big money donors have stepped back, disgruntled at the political chaos of 2022, during which the party ousted Boris Johnson as prime minister only to see his successor, Liz Truss resign after the shortest tenure of any UK premier.
–With assistance from Ellen Milligan.
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