Summary
Overview
Peter Gagan, editor of Democracy for Sale, discusses his investigation into how Labour Together, the organization behind Keir Starmer's rise to power, hired PR firm APCO Worldwide to investigate and discredit journalists who reported on their £730,000 in undeclared political donations. The story reveals an unusually aggressive response to negative press coverage, involving surveillance of journalists and attempts to undermine their credibility, ultimately leading to the resignation of Labour MP Josh Simons from his Cabinet Office position.
Labour Together's Origins and Morgan McSweeney's Rise
Labour Together emerged after Jeremy Corbyn's 2015 leadership victory as a cross-party organization broadly opposed to Corbyn. Under Morgan McSweeney's leadership, it transformed from a modest think tank into a powerful political machine with offices, staff, and a pirate flag symbolizing their ambitions. The organization became crucial in supporting Keir Starmer's campaign, with McSweeney eventually becoming Starmer's chief of staff, making Labour Together central to shaping the current government.
- Labour Together was founded in 2015 after Corbyn won the Labour leadership, initially as a cross-party organization
- Morgan McSweeney took over as head of Labour Together and transformed it into a powerful political machine
- The organization opened offices south of the Thames with a pirate flag, signaling their buccaneering ambitions
- Labour Together backed politicians who later became senior cabinet members including Rachel Reeves, David Lammy, Shabana Mahmood, and Darren Jones
The Undeclared Funding Scandal
Labour Together received millions in donations from wealthy donors who had stopped supporting Labour under Corbyn, including hedge fund manager Martin Taylor and businessman Trevor Chin. However, they failed to declare £730,000 in funding to the Electoral Commission, breaching electoral rules more than 20 times. This undeclared money was used to support Keir Starmer's campaign through polling, focus groups, and direct support to aligned politicians.
- Big Labour donors who stopped giving during Corbyn's leadership redirected money to Labour Together
- Labour Together failed to declare funding to the Electoral Commission for a very long time
- The Electoral Commission found Labour Together breached electoral rules more than 20 times
- The total undeclared donations amounted to approximately £730,000
" The Electoral Commission found that Labour Together had breached electoral rules more than 20 times by failing to declare this money. "
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