Keir Starmer No10 chief at centre of growing row over Labour 'interference' in Trump v Harris election battle

Sir Keir Starmer’s caller chief-of-staff Morgan McSweeney was astatine the centre of a increasing enactment implicit claims by Donald Trump’s run that Labour sought to interfere successful the US statesmanlike election.

Mr McSweeney, who replaced Sue Gray arsenic Sir Keir’s chief-of-staff aft interior battles wrong No10, is astatine the centre of the US-UK flare-up arsenic helium was 1 of respective elder Labour figures who attended the Democratic National Covention successful Chicago, Illinois, successful August.

The Labour Party is understood to person paid for Mr McSweeney to be the convention.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy was quizzed connected the enactment erstwhile she appeared connected the media circular for the Government connected Thursday, being asked connected Times Radio if anyone from the Labour Party had received immoderate benignant of outgo oregon compensation successful benignant for campaigning for the Harris run oregon for passing connected advice.

She responded: “Not that I’m aware. I mean, I haven’t spoken to each azygous member, card-carrying subordinate of the Labour Party, but surely if the question is astir whether elder members of the authorities person been paid to counsel oregon run for the Harris campaign, no, that’s not the case.”

She added: “Morgan McSweeney was implicit successful the United States for the Democratic National Convention. He has been really successful many, galore countries implicit the people of the past fewer years talking to our sister parties astir the challenges of opposition, astir the challenges of government.

“I deliberation it’s bully that we bash that...There’s nary suggestion, I think, that that is improper. That’s what each governmental parties do.”

There is nary grounds of wrongdoing by Mr McSweeney.

Ms Nandy insisted that helium and different elder Labour figures had not fixed proposal to the Kamala campaign.

However, being paid by the Labour Party to be the Democratic normal throws up questions, aft ministers person antecedently been insisting that Labour activists were volunteering for the Harris run arsenic individuals not arsenic enactment members.

A connection connected Mr Trump’s website, DonaldJTrump.com connected Tuesday nighttime announced an authoritative ailment had been filed with US national predetermination officials, and claimed the “Labour Party had “made, and the Harris run has accepted, amerciable overseas nationalist contributions”.

One of the portion of alleged grounds being cited is simply a societal station by Sofia Patel, Head of Operations astatine the Labour Party, which has since been taken down.

It stated: “I person astir 100 Labour Party unit (current and former) going to the US successful the adjacent fewer weeks heading to North Carolina, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

“I person 10 spots disposable for anyone disposable to caput to the battleground authorities of North Carolina - we volition benignant your housing...Email maine on....if you’re interested. Thanks!”

Activists from governmental parties often question to different countries to assistance sister parties, with Reform UK person Nigel Farage being a salient protagonist of Trump.

The Republican candidate’s ailment volition besides beryllium seen successful the airy of his attempts to represent Ms Harris arsenic precise overmuch connected the Left and wide spectrum of US politics.

However, it is inactive embarrassing for the Prime Minister and the Labour Party, with MPs hoping that Mr McSweeney’s assignment arsenic chief-of-staff would person ended the bid of controversies including the tempest implicit freebies accepted by Sir Keir and different Cabinet ministers, specified arsenic Taylor Swift tickets.

Sir Keir is improbable to conscionable Ms Harris earlier Americans spell to the polls.

The Prime Minister met Trump erstwhile helium was successful New York successful September, and astatine the clip said helium wanted to conscionable some statesmanlike candidates.

But arsenic some campaigns participate the last week up of the November 5 poll, and Sir Keir is successful Samoa for a Commonwealth summit, it has been accepted the model of accidental for specified a gathering is closing.

Sir Keir has stressed: “Of people arsenic Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, I volition enactment with whoever the American radical instrumentality arsenic their president successful the elections that are precise adjacent now.”