Labour to get pounds 7,500 sweetener from sugar firm
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The board of Tate and Lyle, the sugar giant, has decided to make a donation to the Labour Party for the first time in its history. The company, traditionally a significant backer of the Tory party and a fierce corporate campaigner against nationalisation, has divided its political contributions among all three main parties.
The company confirmed leaks in Blackpool yesterday that it had reduced its normal annual pounds 25,000 donation to the Conservatives to pounds 15,000 and decided to give pounds 7,500 to Labour and pounds 2,500 to the Liberal Democrats.
Tate and Lyle - which doubled to pounds 50,000 its annual donation to the Tories in the run up to the last general election - said that the board took a strong view that there should be state funding of political parties.
However, Simon Gifford, the company secretary, said yesterday that the board had recognised that in the absence of state funding it had a responsibility to help political parties.
It had taken into consideration the performance of the Government, "the changing stance of the Opposition and the role of the Liberal Democrats and decided this year to support all three", he said.
Mr Gifford said that the replacement of Clause IV - and the ditching of Labour's historic adherence to state control - had been one consideration in judging how far the Labour Party had changed.
Although the company has made modest donations in the past to the third party - it made one to the Social Democrats in the early 1980s - it has never before given to Labour.
The pounds 7,500 donation is one of the first made by a large company to Labour. The only other one so far known was by the publishing and media conglomerate Pearson, which divided its donations up between the three main parties and gave Labour pounds 25,000.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments