SIR Keir Starmer has been urged to return £360,000 of donations from an eco-warrior bankrolling protest group Just Stop Oil.
Tories have demanded the Labour leader hand back cash paid into party coffers by Dale Vince after protesters wreaked havoc across the country.
Sir Keir Starmer has been urged to return £360,000 of donations from an eco-warrior bankrolling protest group Just Stop Oil
The big donation came from Dale Vince, who also gave Starmer an extra £20,000 for his leadership campaign and £10,000 to Angela Rayner
The green energy entrepreneur, 61, also gave £20,000 to Sir Keir’s leadership campaign in 2020 and a further £10,000 was received by party number two Angela Rayner last year, an investigation by Sky News and Tortoise Media revealed.
The eco-warriors caused mayhem in their fight against fossil fuels — setting up roadblocks on motorways and glueing themselves to artworks.
Despite accepting the donations, Sir Keir has said the group were “wrong” and “arrogant”.
Tory MP Kevin Foster said: “The Labour leadership must hand back the money on behalf of those who haven’t been able to get to work or hospital appointments as a result of their actions.”
Mr Vince, who chairs League One club Forest Green Rovers, gave the protest group “tens of thousands” of pounds when they started and a financial lifeline last year.
But he doesn’t agree with all their tactics, saying: “When they were smashing bank windows I did say publicly I didn’t think it was the right thing to do.”
He has also given money to the Lib Dems, the Greens and groups such as Extinction Rebellion.
A spokesman for the Labour leader said: “We’re proud that donors old and new are backing Keir’s positive plans for change.”
