One rule for them: is criticism of donations to the Labour party refreshing, or hypocritical?

By Emilia Driver

Just over 100 days into Labour's leadership under Sir Keir Starmer, public opinion has become massively divided regarding the party’s popularity and effectiveness. Some are still celebrating the long-awaited transition away from Conservative leadership whilst others remain sceptical of Labour’s performance so far.

One of the first major controversies of the current Government emerged in mid-September and involved donations made to Labour Party members including Sir Kier Starmer, by Lord Waheed Alli, with a fixation was on how these donations were spent by MPs. The media focused on the allegation that donations from Lord Alli, a TV executive, had been used towards personal expenses, including clothing, event-related costs and even ‘fashion accessories’ for he and his wife. Starmer also faced particularly damning accusations that he had failed to declare tens of thousands of pounds in donations.

This controversy quickly escalated, sparking a minor investigation into donations received by Starmer and other Labour MPs. Several media outlets implied unethical behaviour, describing these events as part of a wider culture of “sleaze.” The controversy also prompted broader comparisons of the political misconduct to that of Conservative leadership scandals. Much of the reporting suggested that Labour was no different from the Conservatives in terms of questionable dealings.

Despite the dramatic headlines, it was revealed that all of the donations in question had been declared in line with parliamentary rules. The criticism over how Labour spent its donations also largely stemmed from conservative-leaning outlets such as The Telegraph. This appears particularly hypocritical in direct contrast to the relative lack of attention allocated by the media to Conservative Party donations over the past 14 years. It is difficult to find public information on the specific ways in which Conservative donations were used, and media coverage has also been comparatively lacking. Furthermore, the sources of Conservative donations, which are often from somewhat controversial industries such as oil and gas companies and the property sector—have sparked little public attention, despite raising significant ethical questions.

A double standard in media coverage can be seen very clearly. While transparency and accountability are crucial in government, the narrative surrounding Labour’s use of donations seems to be overwhelmingly based on political motivation as opposed to justified grounds.

Conservative criticisms of Labour's "self-serving" behavior hold little weight when viewed against the Conservative Party's own track record, especially their opportunistic approach to spending (not to mention their self-serving attitudes throughout the pandemic). Of course, critiquing the government’s spending and holding them accountable for their use of donations would be a refreshing change of perspective to see from the media. That would be if it didn’t come from conservatives who are doing so in an attempt to boost their popularity and cast disillusionment towards the labour government.

Much of the criticism surrounding this recent scandal and Sir Kier Starmer has come from far-left voices. These critiques are particularly concerning to the majority because they risk alienating voters and dividing the labour vote. Sir Kier Starmer was elected, largely on account of his centrist views, as well as widespread dissatisfaction with the prior 14 years of scandals under Conservative leadership. In a political system that is dominated by two parties, divisions within the public and among Labour voters risk weakening the party’s electoral position and pushing disillusioned voters back toward the Conservatives. Instead of condemning Starmer and Labour, these voices might be better served by focusing on constructive criticism aimed at reforming the party. By fostering dialogue that promotes the change that Labour voters want to see, the party could strengthen its position without losing sight of its goals.

Ultimately, this "scandal" appears to be largely manufactured by the Conservatives and perpetuated by right leaning media outlets to deflect from the Conservatives prior controversies and regain public favour by amplifying relatively minor infractions in the newly elected opposition. The timing of these accusations, so early in Labour's leadership, suggests an effort to tarnish their image before they have had the opportunity to properly establish their agenda, with Reeves yet to publish the budget. Following years of severe political scandals during Conservative leadership, which required no exaggeration or fabrication by Labour to gain public attention, the current attacks on Starmer seem like a desperate attempt to regain some political ground after the recent dramatic electoral defeat.