A prominent Labour donor and former adviser to Andy Burnham vows to withhold all future contributions until Keir Starmer steps down as Prime Minister. Sacha Lord, the entrepreneur behind the Parklife Festival and Warehouse Project, describes feeling duped by Starmer, whom he labels as toxic.
Donor’s Fierce Criticism of Leadership
Sacha Lord es deep frustration, stating, “I feel duped as a donor. I feel lied to, I feel conned. And as a Labour Party donor I would never ever give another penny to the Labour Party under its current leadership. I think it’s absolutely disgusting – just parking my sector to one side and we’re being absolutely crucified – we’ve got conversations about paedophilia and sex trafficking right to the heart of government. We are a global embarrassment at the moment.”
He had rallied hospitality industry colleagues to support Labour in the recent election, believing Rachel Reeves would champion small independent businesses and revitalize high streets. However, the Chancellor’s swift decision to increase employers’ National Insurance contributions, followed by sharp business rates hikes, left him stunned.
“Absolutely. I bitterly regret it, I absolutely do,” Lord admits when asked about his role in Labour’s election victory. He adds, “I’ve never felt, in my sector, more concerned about what’s going to happen in the next – never mind two to three years – few months. She’s just not engaged – both herself and the PM – have not engaged hospitality in the slightest.”
Predictions of Internal Party Upheaval
Lord forecasts Starmer’s ousting via a leadership challenge after the May local elections. He anticipates significant losses for Labour councillors, blaming the Prime Minister and Reeves: “so many really good hard-working councillors… through no fault of their own thanks to the PM and Rachel Reeves. This is death by a thousand cuts… we’re watching the whole thing crumble.”
Despite aligning with traditional Labour values, Lord views the current party as out of control. “My values are still traditional Labour values, but this is not a traditional Labour Party. This is a Labour Party that’s completely out of control. I have no idea who’s running the country at the moment. They’re all making moves in the background to save their own jobs and careers, and what they need to be doing is running the country that I feel is the most divided and bitter it’s ever been.”
He highlights Starmer’s absence from the Gorton and Denton by-election campaign as evidence of his toxicity.
Praise for Rayner and Burnham at Key Conference
At a recent night-time economy conference in Liverpool, Lord commended interventions by Angela Rayner and Andy Burnham. Rayner urged Reeves to reduce taxes and red tape for businesses, positioning herself as business-friendly. She shared, “Over the last few weeks, I’ve spoken candidly with businesses in my own constituency, and many beyond it, and they say it’s a huge challenge that they’re facing, and it’s a challenge just to stay afloat. Customers aren’t just there in the way they used to be, as business rates remain punishingly high, energy bills soar and costs in your supply chains and VAT bite.”
Lord calls Rayner’s support “so refreshing,” describing it as a “huge intervention” amid growing sector pressures.
