With Morgan McSweeney summoned for questioning before the foreign affairs select committee, the Peter Mandelson scandal continues to decimate the ailing Starmer administration. There are now calls for a public inquiry into Labour Together, the think tank used by McSweeney to propel his favoured candidate into power. On Monday, current director Allison Phillips declared that the organisation would be changing their name and no longer donating to individual MPs.

On March 4th, lobbyist Gary Lubner gave Labour Together £175,000. This followed a £50,000 donation on February 24th, just one day after Peter Mandelson was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office. Back in December, Lubner gave Labour Together a further £235,000. On March 13th, Gary Lubner gave £20,000 to another group called “Labour to Win”, who he also gave £20,000 in October.

In fact, Gary Lubner has bankrolled a whole set of Labour MPs under Starmer, including Morgan McSweeney’s wife Imogen Walker, cabinet member Jake Richards, and Labour Friends of Israel vice-chair Mike Tapp. Lubner also pumped money into the Labour Together project.

As is the case with Morgan McSweeney, Gary Lubner’s “picks” have mysteriously risen to the top of Starmer’s Labour. Now Justice Minister David Lammy received a £70,000 “gift” from Lubner. His replacement as Foreign Secretary, Yvette Cooper, was given a more generous £210,000 to pay for her staff.