Sainsbury leads party donors

LORD Sainsbury of Turville was the most generous business donor to political parties in the first three months of the year. The science minister and supermarkets magnate swelled Labour Party coffers by £2m in the period.

Data from the Electoral Commission show his contribution dwarfed PowderJect chief executive Paul Drayson's second £50,000 donation to Labour in under a year, and there was also a £200,000 gift from Sir Ronald Cohen, the founder of private equity group Apax Partners.

Derek Tullett, of broker Tullett & Tokyo, chipped in with a £50,000 donation and property tycoon Sir Sigmund Sternberg helped out with £110,000. A total of 12 individuals have contributed almost £2.5m to Labour so far this year.

The Conservatives had a broader base of support with 49 individual donors, but individual donations were smaller on average and the total sum raised by the party was under £1m.

Jardine Matheson taipans Henry and Simon Keswick contributed a combined tally of £20,000, but Dixons chairman and long-time party stalwart Sir Stanley Kalms was the most generous donor as he chipped in with a gift of £120,500. Reading Football Club owner John Madejski weighed in with a £50,000 donation.