Health minister received £3,000 in proxy donation

Published on Saturday 26 January 2008 21:32

ANOTHER cabinet minister was at the centre of new questions over donations last night.

It has emerged that Health Secretary Alan Johnson received 3,000 for his failed deputy leadership campaign from a Labour party official channelled through his brother.

Waseem Siddiqui, who is listed as the donor, has admitted the cash did not come from him, but that he was given the money by his brother – a Labour Party branch treasurer – and in return made out a cheque to Johnson's campaign.

Siddiqui has reportedly said that he did not know who the Health Secretary was, and that he had "no interest" in the Labour Party. A statement from Johnson's deputy leadership campaign denied any deliberate wrongdoing.

"We had no reason to believe the donation came from anyone other than (Siddiqui]," it said. "We checked he was a member of the Labour Party and was on the electoral register and we registered the donation with the Labour Party, the Register of Members' Interests and the Electoral Commission."

It also emerged last night that the donation had not appeared on the officially published list of cash gifts to the campaign. However, Johnson's campaign has insisted the money was registered correctly.

Meanwhile, cabinet minister Des Browne has predicted that no more high-profile Labour politicians will be forced to resign in the donations row.

Peter Hain quit the Cabinet last week after his case was passed to the police by the Electoral Commission, which was investigating him over the late declaration of more than 100,000 in donations.

Scottish Labour leader Wendy Alexander is also being investigated by the Electoral Commission after her campaign team accepted an illegal donation during her party leadership campaign. The verdict on her is expected this week.

Browne said: "I don't expect that any of the rest of my colleagues will need to resign from any positions that they are in."