Alan Johnson donation claims

Last Modified: 27 Jan 2008
By: Victoria Macdonald

The Health Secretary, Alan Johnson becomes the latest labour deputy leadership contender caught up in a row over donations.

So cock up or conspiracy?

A £3,000 donation from Waseem Siddiqui of Croydon, to Alan Johnson's deputy leadership campaign which has not appeared on the electoral commission website and which Mr Siddiqui has claimed in a Sunday newspaper was actually made on behalf of his brother-in-law.

Mr Johnson's team received four donations which don't appear on the website ranging from £1500 to just over £3000 - they insist though they followed the rules, including checking Mr Siddiqui was on the electoral register.

Adding to the mystery, Mr Siddiqui had told the Sunday Mirror that he didn't even know who Alan Johnson was. But tonight Ahmed Yar Mohammed denied deliberately hiding the donation. In a statement he said he asked his brother-in-law to write a cheque on his behalf because he was busy travelling.

He claimed he acted in "good faith" and said the controversy over the donation was a "misunderstanding". And that he would be writing to the electoral commission

Mr Johnson's team said they were genuinely perplexed by the claims. But the timing could not be worse - coming so soon off the back of investigations into other Ministers campaign donations - and last weeks' resignation of Work and Pensions Secretary, Peter Hain, after he was reported to the police.

Today the electoral commission insisted they were not aware of the Johnson campaign donations until December. They are still carrying out checks and plan to speak to his team again next week.