Tories demand Labour return donations from Just Stop Oil backer

Labour is urged to return £1.5m in donations from green energy boss who backs Just Stop Oil after eco-activist group’s latest ‘attacks’ on Twickenham rugby final and Chelsea Flower Show

• Dale Vince, the founder of Ecotricity, has made a series of donations to Labour

Conservative Party chairman Greg Hands has demanded Labour return £1.5million in donations from a green energy boss who backs Just Stop Oil.

Dale Vince, the multi-millionaire founder of Ecotricity, has made a series of donations to Labour over the years including directly to party leader Sir Keir Starmer.

He has also made financial contributions to Just Stop Oil – the eco-activist group who have staged a series of disruptive protests.

Mr Hands reiterated Tory demands for Labour to return Mr Vince’s donations in the wake of action by campaigners at yesterday’s Premiership rugby union final at Twickenham.

The first half of the match was disrupted by Just Stop Oil activists running on the pitch and releasing clouds of orange paint.

Members of the group also threw coloured paint over a garden at Chelsea Flower Show on Thursday in another protest.

Saturday’s Premiership rugby union final at Twickenham was disrupted by Just Stop Oil eco-activists running on the pitch and releasing clouds of orange paint

Members of the group also threw coloured paint over a garden at Chelsea Flower Show on Thursday in another protest

Dale Vince, the multi-millionaire founder of Ecotricity, has made a series of donations to Labour over the years including directly to party leader Sir Keir Starmer

Sir Keir has previously said the cash received from Mr Vince ‘will not make a blind bit of difference to the tough line I take in relation to Just Stop Oil’

In a letter to Labour Party chair Anneliese Dodds, Mr Hands said he was ‘concerned’ about the influence of Mr Vince’s donations.

He highlighted how Labour voted against legislation to crack down on disruptive protests.

‘Given these attacks I am calling on you to return these donations,’ Mr Hands wrote.

‘I am concerned about the influence of this money given the Labour Party’s decision to vote against tougher measures to stop disruption via the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act.

‘I note the Labour Party has already caved into the demands made by the group and announced a halt to new oil, gas and coal projects.’

Mr Vince’s firm has donated £10,000 to Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner, and £20,000 to Sir Keir.

This is on top of more than £1.4million given by Ecotricity to the party over several years, according to Electoral Commission data.

In a letter to Labour Party chair Anneliese Dodds, Tory chairman Greg Hands said he was ‘concerned’ about the influence of Mr Vince’s donations

Mr Vince founded Ecotricity in 1995 and is also the owner of Forest Green Rovers, who were named the world’s first UN certified carbon-neutral football club.

He recently reiterated his support for Just Stop Oil’s ‘brilliant work’ after campaigners staged a protest during a World Snooker Championship match.

Sir Keir has routinely condemned the tactics employed by Just Stop Oil and branded those who glue themselves to roads as part of climate protests as ‘arrogant’.

‘I’m not a fan of that organisation,’ the Labour leader told LBC earlier this year.

Referring to Mr Vince’s donations, Sir Keir added: ‘Look, he donated to the Labour Party.

‘He knows me very well. He knows that nothing that he donates to the Labour Party is going to affect my judgment on this.

‘Obviously it’s up to him what he does with his money. But the fact he donates will not make a blind bit of difference to the tough line I take in relation to Just Stop Oil.’

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