Labour Donations: The Plot Thickens

The Evening Standard story is proving to be a major headache for Labour and Jon Mendelsohn in particular. It alleges that he approached two of the Labour Deputy Leadership campaigns…, well read it for yourself HERE.

Guido has emphasized that despite legal threats, the Standard is sticking by its story and that its source is rock solid. Now enter Dizzy. At 5.30 this evening he posted an exclusive story alleging that a member of Harriet Harman’s campaign team was seen dining at Shepherd’s Restaurant in Marsham Street last night with the very same journalist, Paul Waugh, who wrote the Standard’s story today.

In a separate story Dizzy later posts a picture of Kevan Jones, Labour MP for North Durham and a key backer of Harriet Harman’s campaign. Dizzy writes…

“Say hello to Kevan Jones, the Labour MP for Durham north. I've been wondering all day if he knows David Abrahams or not. One thing is for sure, he signed Harriet Harman's nominations paper. Maybe she should have invited him to go for
dinner in Westminister and seen if he knew who that cheque for £5000 was really
from? They could have found a booth somewhere so no one saw them and whispered.”

So make of that what you will. It indicates to me that the different parties involved in this murky saga are turning on themselves. It also implies, if – and I emphasise if – Harman’s backers are indeed briefing in this way, it could mean that her people actually knew that the Janet Kidd donation was indeed from Abrahams but they were assured by others that it was all OK. The question is: who were the others, and was one of them the man the Evening Standard alleges offered to raise money for more than one deputy leadership campaign – one Jon Mendelsohn?

But if Harman's people are briefing in this way, it further undermines her own position. Labour MPs will not look kindly on it.