Jeremy Corbyn has called on Keir Starmer to reveal who is financing his Labour leadership campaign.
Mr Corbyn said it was “very important” for party members to know exactly where candidates’ funding was coming from before they decide who to vote for.
Sir Keir has been under pressure since Rebecca Long-Bailey and Lisa Nandy both published all the donations they have received above Β£1,500.
In a surprise intervention, the outgoing Labour leader also insisted he will not be βdisappearingβ when his successor is unveiled, and said that if he is offered a frontbench job under the new leader, he would prefer the role of shadow foreign secretary.
The Party Leader is joined by others on the Left like the Unite union boss Len McCluskey who also challenged sir Keir Starmer to reveal his financial backers.
The Unite boss, said there should be “secret financiers sitting in the shadows” in the Labour Party.
Major financial support to Ms Long-Baileyβs campaign includes over Β£200,000 from the Unite union and over Β£100,000 from left-wing organisation Momentum.
Ms Nandyβs campaign has also received over Β£170,000 in cash from private donations, but the shadow Brexit secretary has so far resisted pressure to release details of his financial backers earlier than he is obliged to under parliamentβs rules.
βI think there always has to be openness in all respects, and when you receive financial support for a political campaign, itβs very important to know where it comes from. All of it should be published,β he said.
βI published everything in my leadership campaigns. The number of high-level, big-ticket donors we had was very small β I leave that to others.β
Responding to Mr Corbynβs comments, a source in Sir Keirβs campaign team toldΒ The Independent:Β βThe campaign publishes its donations in line with the law and rules set out by the Labour Party for this contest. The first tranche wasΒ published last month.Β
βWeβve submitted our next tranche to the parliamentary authorities and expect it to be published next week.β
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