Labour is enraged by the prospect of foreign interference in UK politics—unless, it appears, that interference helps Labour.
Little more than a month after left-wing government officials responded harshly to suggestions that Twitter/X boss Elon Musk might financially support Nigel Farage’s Reform UK by preparing to restrict donations by foreign nationals, it has emerged that the Labour Party has itself benefited from European cash.
The think tank of the Party of European Socialists—home to Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez—contributed more than €30,000 to an event part organised by the Fabian Society, an official Labour Party affiliate, while the party was in opposition. The donation seems to have been so murky that the EU Socialists’ think tank has already been fined and the Labour Party is now also facing a potential investigation, at the same time as its leaders are in Brussels to discuss a Brexit ‘reset.’
Reform’s former communications lead, Gawain Towler, told europeanconservative.com the size of the contribution means that “on the surface,” this is “not a big deal.” He added that Britons can accept error—and even bad behaviour—“if there is an apology attached.” But what they cannot accept—and why this emerging scandal could “burn” the Labour Party—is hypocrisy.
Labour has this weird attitude that because they are ‘good people,’ everything they do—even if it breaches the rules—is good. And they can’t conceive that anything they do is in fact wrong, because they are good people and care about the right things.
The news raises questions about Labour’s self-stated commitment to ensuring that the UK electoral system is marked by “integrity” and is “robust from many of the new issues that face undermining our democracy.” Mark Littlewood, director of the ‘PopCon’ movement, jibed that he thought Labour was supposed to be “really worried” about foreign interference.
The party, added Towler, has “taken arrant hypocrisy as an art form.”
An investigation has not yet been launched in London, although the UK Electoral Commission has expressed “potential regulatory concern” about the incident.
Responding to our request for comment, a Labour spokesman stressed that the party “received no EU funding or any other funding relating to this activity,” not that this was in question.
