Labour in hock to union paymasters
SIR Keir Starmer is accused of being in hock to the unions after it emerged they are behind almost every outside donation to the party since he was elected leader.
Labour received £ 1.3million in the three months after the lawyer was appointed and 96 per cent of it came from trade unions.
Electoral Commission figures show that only one major donation came from an individual, a bequest of £ 54,000, and no businesses gave funding over that period.
Amanda Milling, who chairs the Conservative Party, said: “No wonder Sir Keir Starmer is clinging on to Corbyn’s stale lefty policies when Labour’s being bankrolled by their union paymasters.
“Sir Keir claims to be bringing in a new leadership but it’s clear he’s still at the beck and call of the unions.”
Sir Keir will try to move the party on from Jeremy Corbyn’s disastrous reign when he gives his first major speech as leader at the Labour conference tomorrow.
Powerful union baron Len McCluskey, general secretary of Unite, said the leader will be “in trouble” if he moves too far away from hard- left Corbynite policies.
He said Sir Keir was elected on a “radical” platform adding: “I want to help him, those on the left want to help him.
“But he said he’s listening to people around the country, which he is, and he needs to listen to the left because without the left within our movement, Keir will, I’m afraid, steer the ship on to the rocks and I don’t think he’ll do that.”
Labour’s annual conference is largely taking place online with far fewer events planned. Sir Keir said he wanted to make it clear the party is under new leadership and recognises the scale of its historic defeat last December.
He said: “That was devastating for the Labour Party, devastating for the Labour movement and for the millions of people who desperately needed a Labour government.
“So, recognising that, I’ve been listening to those that no longer vote Labour. I’ve spent the last six months listening and asking for conversations with people that are difficult rather than easy, and changing and focusing on the future.”