Labour peer at centre of donations row spotted at party conference

The Labour peer at the centre of a row over donations to senior ministers has been spotted by Sky News at the party's conference in Liverpool.

Lord Waheed Alli, a TV executive who has donated to the party for 20 years, has found himself in the headlines after he gave thousands of pounds to his party's MPs to cover clothes, holidays and work events.

And while the donations had been declared by those involved, Conservatives have accused ministers of being part of a "government of self-service".

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Lord Alli, who was ennobled by Tony Blair in 1998 and hired by Sir Keir Starmer in 2022, was seen by Sky News' political correspondent Serena Barker-Singh, who said he "just walked nonchalantly through conference".

The peer walked past Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson - who he donated £14,000 for work events around her 40th birthday - but she didn't acknowledge him.

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Our correspondent said a friend of Lord Alli's had told her he wouldn't be bothered by the media storm around him.

However, when she approached the Labour donor to ask him about the controversy, he replied: "Please don't - this is not very nice."

This year alone, Sir Keir Starmer has received - and disclosed - nearly £19,000 worth of work clothes and several pairs of glasses from Lord Alli, the former chairman of online fashion retailer Asos who worked as the party's chief fundraiser for the general election

In addition, the peer, whose personal wealth is estimated at £200m, spent £20,000 on accommodation for the now prime minister during the election and a similar sum on "private office" costs, which was also disclosed.