Labour courts sporting donors

It is Gordon Brown's answer to Cool Britannia: a star-studded bash at Wembley designed to celebrate Britain's sporting prowess, and - conveniently - raise lots of money for the cash-strapped Labour Party.

This week 600 sports personalities, including Sir Alex Ferguson, the manager of Manchester United, and Steve Cram, the world record-breaking middle distance runner, will join Labour supporters and business people to munch canapés, mingle and hear the new Prime Minister and the old one make subtle pitches for their cash.

It will be the first time Gordon Brown and Tony Blair have shared a podium since the leadership handover a fortnight ago.

The theme of their speeches: 10 years of sporting achievement. The subtext: get out your cheque books as Labour is more than £20m in debt.

Sporting celebrities, including Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson, Britain's most celebrated wheelchair athlete, and Dickie Bird, the former Test cricket umpire, will be among the guests who will watch a film of the greatest sporting breakthroughs of the past decade.

Monty Panesar, the England Test bowler, is said to have pulled out of attending the Labour fundraiser, saying he is "neutral" on political matters.

Labour donors caught up in the cash-for-honours affair, such as Dr Chai Patel, are believed to have been invited. But such is the sensitivity of the party leadership, the fundraiser has been closed to the press.