Donorgate

The Labour party proxy and undeclared donations was a political scandal involving the British Labour Party in November and December 2007, when it was discovered that, contrary to legislation passed during the Blair Government, the Party had been receiving significant financial donations made anonymously via third parties. The careers of Labour Party treasurer Peter Watt and the leader of the Scottish Labour Party, Wendy Alexander, were curtailed as a consequence. In May 2009 the Crown Prosecution Service decided there was insufficient evidence for any prosecution relating to these events.

On 25 November 2007, The Mail on Sunday carried a front page headline: "How big Labour backer is a jobbing builder who knows NOTHING about his £200,000 donation". It was revealed that Tyneside lawyer David Abrahams had donated at least £548,850 to the Labour Party since 2003 via two work colleagues, his solicitor and the wife of an employee, which broke electoral law forbidding the use of proxy donors. Abrahams had had a colourful political involvement with the Labour party over many years.

After being honoured with a front row seat in Sedgefield at Tony Blair's announcement that he was leaving office, in November 2007 it emerged that, in the time since Prime Minister Gordon Brown had come to power, Abrahams was now Labour's third largest donor behind Lord Sainsbury of Turville (£2 million) and Iranian businessman Mahmoud Khayami (£320,000 in September 2007). (Mr Khayami's donations subsequently came under some scrutiny in the press, though there was no indication that they were in any way illegal.) Abrahams has donated at least £548,850 since 2003, via two work colleagues, his solicitor and the wife of an employee.

Abrahams's secretary Janet Kidd "gave" £80,000, while builder Ray Ruddick – who has "given" a total of £196,000 according to a political donors list – had contributed £104,000 of the £222,000 donated by Abrahams in the five months since Mr Brown became PM. Mrs Kidd has "donated" £185,000 since 2003, and is also listed as a £5,000 donor to Harriet Harman's successful Labour deputy leadership bid in 2007;

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