Prime Minister Andy Burnham has declared accepting £345,000 in donations over the past year, according to the most recent MPs' register of interests. This marks his first financial declaration since his election to Parliament in June.
The donations included £164,347 from businessman Lord Sainsbury, which went towards Burnham's campaign to become Labour leader. Other contributors to this campaign included businessman Gary Lubner with £25,000, former Greater Manchester night-time economy tsar Sacha Lord with £35,000, TV production company Charlie Parsons Creative with £50,000, and the think tank ThinkLabour, which provided £22,186.
The registered donations also covered office space, IT equipment, staffing, polling, travel, social media support, and message testing. Additionally, Burnham's list includes £20,000 in donations for mayoral campaigning from trade unions Unison, the Communications Workers Union, and the Fire Brigades Union. Labour peer Lord Blunkett donated £2,000 towards Burnham's campaign to become the MP for Makerfield.
Separately, Mr Burnham listed hospitality and gifts received in the year before he returned to Parliament, during his time as Mayor of Greater Manchester. These included four tickets to Glastonbury, tickets worth £3,800 to the Brit Awards from Sony Music Entertainment, and tickets for Aintree Racecourse and Lancashire Cricket Club. He also received a hamper basket and Wedgewood tea set from the ambassador of Qatar.
A Labour Party spokesperson stated that "All declarations have been made in line with Parliamentary and Electoral Commission rules," adding that "It's right that political campaigns are funded by the generous support of party donors, rather than via the public purse." New MPs are required to register all current financial interests and registrable benefits received in the 12 months before their election within one month of their election.