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Sir Keir Starmer is under pressure to reveal who authorised a Downing Street security pass for Labour donor Waheed Alli amid a growing cronyism row surrounding the government.
The Conservative Party wrote to Cabinet secretary Simon Case on Sunday, urging him to reveal who signed off the pass despite the donor not having a formal job there.
Lord Alli, who has donated more than £500,000 to Labour over the last 20 years, was reportedly given unrestricted access to No 10.
It is unusual for anyone not formally employed as a political adviser or civil servant to be given such a pass.
Shadow paymaster general John Glen said the access should be a “privilege” for those who required it for work, such as civil servants and special advisers. He said passes should not be given to “those requiring occasional access”, as those individuals can access Downing Street through the normal visitor system.
In a letter to Mr Case, he wrote: “It is therefore deeply concerning that a pass was granted to a Labour donor providing unfettered access to the heart of government after significant cash and non-cash donations were made to the Labour Party.
“All governments should uphold the very highest standards, and I note this is a key stated objective of the prime minister, as such I ask that you urgently clarify: Who authorised the pass for Lord Alli? Was it the prime minister or his chief of staff, Sue Gray?”
Mr Glen also asked whether any other donors had received security passes for Number 10 and if any other temporary passes had been issued.
Cabinet minister Pat McFadden said Lord Alli, a TV executive who led Labour’s election fundraising, no longer had access to Downing Street.
He told Sky News on Sunday: “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.”
The row over Lord Alli’s pass comes amid criticism of a number of appointments made by the Labour Party, with several people linked to the party or Labour-supporting think tanks taking up roles in the civil service, bringing into question its political impartiality.
Ian Corfield, who has donated £20,000 to Labour politicians over the last decade, was made a temporary director of investment at the Treasury last month after a stint as the party’s senior business adviser. Mr Corfield is reported to have resigned as an official to the chancellor, becoming an unpaid adviser instead.
Questions were also raised over the appointment of Emily Middleton, a businesswoman whose firm donated more than £65,000 to Labour and was later made a director general in the Department for Science and Technology.
Meanwhile, a former Labour think tank staffer was appointed to a senior Cabinet Office role.
Jess Sargeant, who previously worked for Labour Together, was appointed as a deputy director in the government’s Propriety and Constitution Group (PCG) – a department which oversees ethical standards across Whitehall. The government said her role would be largely limited to House of Lords reform.
The Cabinet Office has been contacted for comment.
A government spokesperson previously told The Independent: “We don’t comment on individual appointments and staffing.”
