London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Labour accuses Boris Johnson of creating a ‘cash-for-access culture’

Labour accuses Boris Johnson of creating a ‘cash-for-access culture’

Exclusive: letter from Anneliese Dodds says PM allowed Tory chair to ‘blur the lines to boost party coffers’
Labour has accused Boris Johnson of creating a “cash-for-access culture” in the Conservative party after it emerged that a secret advisory board of wealthy donors were regularly invited to private briefings with the prime minister and his top team.

Concerns were raised when the Sunday Times reported that members of the board, whose investments spanned property, construction and big tobacco, lobbied the government to provide more support for their businesses during the Covid crisis.

A witness was quoted by the paper saying that the donors believed their advice and the concerns “would go straight up to the PM”.

It was also claimed that board members were granted the contact details of ministers and advisers, which they used to discuss the pandemic strategy and procurement offers – as well as make requests for help and advice on applying for public appointments.

There were 12 figures named who had been invited to meetings since the Covid-19 crisis began in March 2020, including Lubov Chernukhin, a former banker who is the wife of Vladimir Putin’s former deputy finance minister Vladimir Chernukhin.

In total, the board members were said to have donated £22m to the Conservatives, including £9.9m since Johnson became prime minister less than two years ago.

The two figures central in putting the board together and maintaining its access were named by the Sunday Times as Lord Lister, Johnson’s former chief strategic adviser, and Ben Elliot, the Conservative party’s co-chair.

Lister and Elliot have been contacted for comment.

After the government promised a crackdown on money laundering from Russian oligarchs in light of the escalating military tensions in Ukraine, Labour accused the Conservatives of having “ignored warnings about how Russian money and influence is used in the UK”.

Anneliese Dodds, Labour’s chair, said the UK had become “a laundromat for kleptocrats’ dirty money” and that “our institutions have been damaged and an entire cottage industry has grown up dedicated to lobbying for and protecting those close to the Kremlin”.

In a letter to Johnson, which was seen by the Guardian, Dodds disparaged the “ethical standards in your party” and said the media report over the weekend “raises serious questions about the cash for access culture that you have created at the heart of government”.

Dodds said Johnson had allowed Elliot to “blur the lines between private business activities and his public responsibilities in order to boost Tory coffers”.

Given concerns about the source of the money donated to the Conservative party, Dodds said Johnson should “return every penny of the millions of pounds of Russian-linked cash that has been donated to your party and its MPs since 2019 – including any received from advisory board donors – and reverse your plans to allow unlimited donations from abroad”.

Dodds also called for Elliot to be fired and told Johnson he should get his “own house in order and restore public confidence that your party is committed to cleaning up its act”.

Downing Street and the Conservative party were contacted for comment.

A spokesperson for the Conservatives told the Sunday Times: “We can confirm that, on occasion, senior Conservative politicians, just like senior Labour and Liberal Democrat politicians, do in fact attempt to raise funds for the party they represent.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×