At Labour conference this week, there was one attendee the press were looking out for more than any other – Lord Alli.
The peer, who reportedly hates publicity, strode into the Liverpool venue in his white trainers and dark suit with a cheeky grin on his face, after weeks of headlines over ‘donorgate’.
Alli has found himself the unwelcome centre of attention over his gifts to members of the cabinet, which raised eyebrows after he was given a Downing Street pass – sparking claims of ‘cash for access’ at the heart of government.
He gave clothes and spectacles to Keir Starmer and his wife, loaned his luxury Manhattan apartment on New Year’s Eve to Angela Rayner and bankrolled Bridget Phillipson’s 40th birthday party.
And last night yet another £16,000 donation worth of clothes to Keir Starmer emerged.
But the wealthy businessman, who is worth an estimated £200 million, has a long history with …