Aneel Mussarat, Lawrence Kenwright among Labour donors

Developers Aneel Mussarat and Lawrence Kenwright have joined comedian Eddie Izzard and Littlewoods heir Lord John Granchester among donors to Labour MPs, according to the latest list of members’ financial interests.

In December, Kenwright’s Liverpool-based hotel and serviced apartment developer, Signature Living, gave £2,500 to Bill Esterson Campaigns Ltd, a company registered in September 2016 by Bill Esterson, Sefton Central MP and shadow minister for business, energy and industrial strategy. Bill Esterson Campaigns is listed at Companies House as an advertising agency.

A spokesperson for Signature Living said: “Signature Living and a range of other local businesses were very happy to support Bill Esterson’s annual Christmas card competition involving local school children who submitted their designs for a card that was sent to all of his constituents, business, charities and local organisations.”

Mussarrat’s Intro Developments, part of his MCR Property Group, donated £5,000 to fund a research project by Chuka Umunna, who was shadow business secretary under Ed Miliband before moving to the backbenches following Labour’s 2015 general election defeat.

Mussarrat said Umunna was a friend and asked him for help with a research project but declined to give details about the project.

Stand-up comedian, actor and pro-Europe campaigner, Eddie Izzard, maintains his long-standing support for Lucy Powell, member for Manchester Central alongside whom he has campaigned at previous elections.

In November 2016, Izzard gave £20,504 in two separate payments towards Powell’s office running costs and another £10,252 in February 2017. Izzard gave £5,400 in 2009 to Lucy Powell to compete for the Withington seat held by Liberal Democrat John Leech.

The mayoral race in Liverpool city region attracted several donations to competing Labour politicians.

Littlewoods heir and Labour peer Lord John Grantchester donated £4,000 towards Luciana Berger’s selection as Labour candidate. Berger is Labour MP for Liverpool Wavertree.

Red Capital, a company controlled by Lord Jon Mendelsohn, a media advisor under New Labour, gave £2,500 to Berger’s campaign.

Berger was ultimately defeated by Steve Rotheram, MP for Liverpool Walton, whose mayoral campaign was supported with £10,000 from Runcorn-based chemical industry supplier RJ Lewis Management Services.

Liverpool-based Sysco Business Skills Academy gave a further £1,900 towards Rotheram’s campaign. Unite the Union was his largest donor with £20,000.

Andy Burnham, MP for Leigh, was selected as Labour candidate to become Mayor of Greater Manchester. LionLike Management, a Rainhill-based company related to Rotheram’s donor RJ Lewis Management Services, gave Burnham £10,000 towards his campaign. Both companies are managed by John Lewis.

London-based communications agency for the property industry, Quatro Public Relations, seconded a member of staff, between 31 May and 5 August 2016, to Burnham’s campaign. The value of the 10-week secondment was £12,370.24.

The list of members’ interests shows George Osborne, Conservative MP for Tatton in Cheshire, stands to earn £650,000, or $1m, a year from BlackRock, the world’s largest fund manager.

Your Comments

Read our comments policy

Related Articles

Sign up to receive the Place Daily Briefing

Join more than 13,000 property professionals and receive your free daily round-up of built environment news direct to your inbox

Subscribe

Join more than 13,000 property professionals and sign up to receive your free daily round-up of built environment news direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you are agreeing to our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.

"*" indicates required fields

Your Job Field*
Other regional Publications - select below