Overview

• The Conservatives released a 2021 email from Labour lawyer Gerald Shamash advising Morgan McSweeney to present the non-reporting as an administrative error if he could not substantiate a claimed 2018 call with the regulator.
• The correspondence cites £739,492 in late-reported donations and suggests avoiding reference to McSweeney unless evidence supported his account, with an aim to minimize publicity.
• The Electoral Commission says it thoroughly investigated and fined Labour Together £14,250 in 2021 and is considering the new material shared by the Conservatives.
• Downing Street and senior ministers say the issue was dealt with at the time, express full confidence in McSweeney, and dismiss the renewed focus as political attacks.
• McSweeney led Labour Together from 2017 to 2020, during which dozens of donations went undeclared until after he left; Conservatives have also asked police and the standards watchdog to examine whether Keir Starmer received undeclared support, which No 10 denies.