Trade unions, think tanks, wealthy donors and a comedian

The recently published register of the financial interests of the county’s new MPs reveals where their donations came from in the run up to the general election

By Sarah Ward

Photo by Mark Stuckey on Unsplash

Northamptonshire’s MPs were helped to election by donations from various sources including trade unions, think tanks and comedian James Acaster, the recently published financial register of interests has shown.

The county’s seven MPs collectively declared just over £90,000 worth of donations to in the months running up to July’s General Election, with Labour MP for Northampton North Lucy Rigby registering the largest amount of donations with £37,636.60 given to her by various bodies as well as individuals.

The county’s five MPs were among the 212 in parliament who received trade union cash, with former Trades Unions Congress official Lee Barron, who became the MP for Corby and East Northants, receiving the highest amount, declaring £18,000 from four different unions.

Kettering comic James Acaster’s company Bear Bros Ltd also backed the town’s new Labour MP Rosie Wrighting by donating £2,500 in February. 

And the powerful centrist Labour think tank Labour Together - founded in 2015 during the Corbyn era to ensure the centre of the party developed new ideas - also donated several thousands of pounds to four of the county’s five new labour MPs.

The new Conservative MP for Daventry, Stuart Andrew, the only one of the six MPs to have won in the 2019 general election, was the only MP to not register any donations.

The register was published on August 4. MPs must register all their current financial interests, and any registrable benefits (other than earnings) received in the 12 months before their election within one month of their election, and must register any change in those registrable interests within 28 days.

Also listed on the register are gifts received. Stuart Andrew listed hospitality from ITV for a Kylie Minogue TV special; Lucy Rigby listed tickets to the News Media Association’s Press awards and also a US visit in April paid for by an American think tank (received before the election); Conservative MP for South Northamptonshire Sarah Bool listed a VIP package to Silverstone (which sits in her constituency) and Labour MP for Northampton South Mike Reader registered a four day visit to Israel paid for by the Friends of Israel.

The donations listed are not the definitive list of campaign spending by each candidate. There are rules on how much each candidate can spend to try and get elected based on a formula linked to the size of the constituency. The candidate’s agent must send a spending returns form to the returning officer of the administrative council within 35 days of the election. The electoral commission then publishes the details.

See below for the full details registered by each of our new MPs

Lucy Rigby

The former lawyer, gained the most in donations to her campaign, a strategy which may have paid off, as she secured the biggest majority of all the Northamptonshire MPs elected on July 5th. 

The register shows that she received £15,000 from Autoglass owner Gary Lubner (who donated to dozens of other Labour MPs as well as giving large sums to Labour Together); two donations totalling £4,000 from David Kogan Ltd; £5,000 from sustainable development charity bosses Cressida Pollock and Daniel Ludhe-Thompson (the couple donated to several other Labour candidates) and £1,636.60 from an Andrew Porter. Her only trade union donation was £7,000 from Unison and she received £5,000 from think tank Labour Together. 

Recently the MP travelled to America with a party including Labour Together chief executive Jonathan Ashworth to the Democrat party’s convention in Chicago. The cost of this trip has not been registered, but an earlier five day trip in January this year costing £7,856 and paid for by the US think tank the Progressive Policy Institute was listed. 

Following the rules the new MP also listed that her husband Will Tanner, is a lobbyist. He is a director and head of public policy for TB Cardew - a communications firm which works across a number of sectors including health, financial services and the media.

Lucy Rigby said:

“My husband and I keep our professional lives separate but as he works in public affairs, I have to record that on my register of interests.  Parliament also has a declarations system (in addition to registration), so if any MP has a direct or indirect financial interest relevant to a debate or committee work (for example) then that would need to be openly declared.

“The News Media Association asked me if I’d like to be their guest, in my role as a candidate for Parliament, at the Press Awards. The Press Awards recognise the work of journalists, newspapers and websites, and the impact of particular scoops and stories.”  

Lee Barron

Corby’s new MP gained £18,000 in donations from four unions: Unison, USDAW, Unite, the Communication Workers Union. He also received £5,000 from Labour Together. He did not list any gifts on his register.

Rosie Wrighting

Labour’s new MP for Kettering Rosie Wrighting is the only one of the Northants MPs to secure a celebrity donation, from Kettering legend James Acaster. His company Bear Bros Ltd donated £2,500 to her campaign. The 27-year-old received the lowest number of donations, receiving £11,500 in total, with relatively small £2,000 donations from USDAW and Community Union. She received £5,000 from Labour Together.

Stuart Andrew

The new Daventry MP, who came in as a late runner after former Northern Ireland secretary Chris Heaton-Harris stood down, did not declare any donations. He had formerly been the MP for Pudsey in Yorkshire. His only entry is £363.75 from ITV for a Kylie recorded TV concert.

Sarah Bool

The Conservative MP who replaced Andrea Leadsom, registered a donation of £4,200 from the Daventry and South Northamptonshire Conservative Association Patrons’ Club as well as a £3,000 donation from Fermor Land LLP. The company is linked to the former owner of Towcester racecourse Lord Hesketh. She also registered a £3,636 gift for a pair of VIP tickets to the Silverstone Grand Prix in July.

Mike Reader

The Northampton South MP received £28,891 on donations, with two £10,000 donations. One was from Autoglass founder Gary Lubner and the second was from Emanuelle and Adam Parr, former chief executive of Williams motor racing. He received £5,000 from Labour Together and £1,891.06 from Cambridge based firm Growth Ignition Consulting Ltd.

Also listed on his register of financial interests was a four day trip to Israel funded by the Friends of Israel and costing £2,400.

He is the only one of the seven MPs to list himself as a landlord - renting out a property in Rushden.

Mike Reader said the Parr’s donation had come about because they wanted to support a candidate concerned about green issues. He said his Israel and Palestine trip was an educational fact finding trip, during which he heard from people across the political spectrum.

Gen Kitchen

Despite running two campaigns - first in the by-election held in February and then in the July General Election, Gen Kitchen has listed a relatively low sum on donations. She received £7,000 from Unison, £1623.88 from GMB and two separate donations totalling £3,322,37 from John Mann, a former Labour parlaimentary candidate.