Britain’s top civil servant has been urged to investigate how a top Labour donor was given a No.10 security pass.
In a highly unusual move, Lord Alli was given the pass within days of Keir Starmer’s landslide general election victory on July 4.
He has previously donated a total of £500,000 to Labour, as well as paying for £16,200-worth of “work clothing” for the prime minister.
Downing Street sources have told HuffPost UK that the Labour peer was given the pass on a “temporary” basis and had handed it back “weeks ago”.
Senior ministers have also said they have “no idea” why he was given it in the first place.
Shadow paymaster general John Glen has now written to Simon Case, the cabinet secretary, urging him to probe who signed off on Lord Alli’s pass, which gave him unrestricted access to No.10.
He wrote: “A Downing Street pass should be a privilege reserved for those that require access for work, including civil servants and special advisers, not those requiring occasional access.
“It is therefore deeply concerning that a pass was granted to a Labour donor providing unfettered access to the heart of government after significant cash and non-cash donations were made to the Labour Party.”
On Sunday, cabinet minister Pat McFadden was unable to clear up the controversy.
He said: “I don’t think it’s unusual for people to have passes to attend political meetings, if they need to do so.
“I don’t think he has a pass now but I believe he may have had one in the past.”
He added: “He won’t have been involved in any governmental decisions, he’s not someone who holds a policy responsibility.”
McFadden also told Times Radio that the peer “does bring a huge amount to the Labour Party”.
He said: “He was an important part of the election campaign. And as I say, he’s a very highly respected peer.
“I don’t believe there’s anything being done here that’s in conflict with the rules.”