What is the Labour Together row and are there risks for Keir Starmer?

"The Conservatives are urging Commons standards officials and the police to investigate money donated to the Labour Together group and whether Keir Starmer potentially benefited from it. So what is the row about? And do the Tory claims stand up? Labour Together is a thinktank and campaigning group closely linked to the Labour party. While often referred to as a vehicle for Starmer and his allies, it pre-dates his leadership."

"Launched in 2015 after the party's election defeat under Ed Miliband, it relaunched in 2017 under the leadership of Morgan McSweeney, now Starmer's chief of staff, as a vehicle for wresting control of the party from Jeremy Corbyn and his allies and persuading centrist MPs not to break away. When Corbyn stepped down after the 2019 election, the project coalesced around Starmer as its chosen replacement, with McSweeney heading his campaign."

"Labour Together raised large sums in donations at the time, a fact that is at the centre of the current controversy. The Electoral Commission considers Labour Together to be a party members' association, given its close links to Labour, meaning it is obliged to declare donations. In 2021 the elections watchdog fined Labour Together 14,250 for failing to properly declare almost 740,000 of donations. The group blamed administrative error."

Labour Together is a thinktank and campaigning group closely linked to the Labour party that predates Keir Starmer's leadership. The group launched in 2015 and relaunched in 2017 under Morgan McSweeney, now Starmer's chief of staff, to shift party control from Jeremy Corbyn's allies and to keep centrist MPs aligned. After 2019 the project coalesced around Starmer, with McSweeney heading his campaign. The Electoral Commission classifies Labour Together as a party members' association, requiring declared donations. In 2021 the elections watchdog fined Labour Together 14,250 for failing to declare almost 740,000 of donations. A 2021 email from Labour lawyer Gerald Shamash asked detailed questions about the group's knowledge of donations rules and noted McSweeney reported a donation as early as 2018.

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