Ex Lib Dem peer one of the biggest donors to new anti-Corbyn Labour campaign

New anti-Corbyn Labour centrist organisation 'Labour Tomorrow' set up by David Blunkett is being bankrolled by one of the party's biggest donors

(AFP)

An ex-Liberal Democrat peer, a hedge fund manager and a multimillionaire human rights charity patron are all among the donors to “Labour Tomorrow”, a new ‘centre-left’ organisation of which the Blairite peer David Blunkett is a director, it can be revealed.

According to records published by the Electoral Commission, the outspoken Liberal Democrat peer Matthew Oakeshott gave £25,000 to the new organisation last month. Long-time Labour donor and hedge fund manager Martin Taylor donated £180,000. A company called Betterworld donated £10,000. Betterworld is a company set up by Henry Tinsley, the former chairman of chocolate maker Green & Blacks, and has been used to make donations to both Labour and the Liberal Democrats, to fight election campaigns in Conservative targeted seats. He also made sizeable donations to the Green Party MP Caroline Lucas’s election campaign in Brighton Pavilion.

Labour Tomorrow was registered at Companies House in April, and according to its website, it ‘coordinates and distributes funds for moderate centre-left organisations which are committed to rebuilding a consensus for a Labour government.’ It was incorporated by Nicola Murphy, the wife of former caretaker Shadow Chancellor Chris Leslie.

Martin Taylor, a financial manager at Nevsky Capital LLP, has donated more than £600,000 to the Labour Party. Last year, he wrote in an article for the Independent: “I believe very strongly that everyone should contribute to society and that those who are lucky enough to earn a lot should contribute more than others.”