A FRESH cronyism row was engulfing Sir Keir Starmer today after it emerged a top donor was given a No10 pass.
Downing Street had this afternoon not explained why Lord Waheed Alli – who has gifted £500,000 to Labour – was handed unrestricted access to the heart of government.
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It is the latest storm to rock the PM after another party benefactor landed a plum Treasury job.
Questions are being asked after Lord Alli – a multimillionaire TV mogul – was revealed by The Sunday Times to hold a Downing Street pass after giving big sums to Labour.
It is understood the donor handed his pass back a few weeks ago but that it expires at the end of this month.
Cabinet Minister Pat McFadden this morning could not explain why Lord Alli was given the pass despite not being a government employee.
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster said: “I don’t think it’s unusual for people to have passes to attend political meetings if they need to do so.”
He added on Sky News: “I don’t think he’s got a pass any more, he may have needed it for a short time in that period immediately after the election.
“He won’t have been involved in government or policy decisions.”
Lord Alli, 59, was ennobled by then PM Sir Tony Blair in 1998 to become the youngest peer in the House of Lords.
Tory Shadow Paymaster General John Glen said: “Starmer’s sleaze is engulfing this new government and it’s time Labour came clean on all the people they’ve parachuted into top civil service jobs and the donors they’ve returned favours to so the independence and integrity of the civil service is maintained.”
It comes after fellow donor Ian Corfield quit his role as a Treasury director following a backlash.
He was appointed to the plum posting after giving money to Chancellor Rachel Reeves, but has now stepped down to instead become an unpaid adviser.