Campaign donors “always expect to be paid back in the end”, says Long-Bailey

Rebecca Long-Bailey has said that campaign donors “always expect to be paid back in the end”, and suggested that who funds your campaign gives an “indication of what your politics are and who’s going to be influencing you”.

In an interview with the Evening Standard, the Salford MP also spoke about the election defeat in December and said that it takes more than a “couple of door-knocking sessions” to understand the voters in Red Wall seats.

Long-Bailey went on to tease her rival leadership candidate Keir Starmer for the direct mailing he sent individually to all members of the Labour Party, which included a “cheesy” poster of his face.

When asked about campaign funding, she commented: “People want to see who donates to your campaign because it often gives an indication of what your politics are and who’s going to be influencing you in the future. Those donors always expect to be paid back in the end.”

She added: “I’m proud that my donations have come from trade unions, Labour Party members, Momentum members who I know have supported me because we share the same political ideals.”

Long-Bailey has published her campaign funding on her website, as has her rival Lisa Nandy. Starmer has faced calls to do the same but opted instead to follow the usual rules for MPs by relying on the register of members’ financial interests.

His register of interests was updated last week. In line with the rules of both the Labour Party and the parliamentary authority, more donations are expected to be made public as the register is further updated.

Long-Bailey’s website shows that Unite has contributed £215,000 to her campaign, the CWU over £52,000 and Momentum almost £120,000. It also reveals that staffing alone on her campaign amounts to over £115,000.

The leadership candidate and Shadow Business Secretary maintained that Brexit and the way in which the party communicated its policies were to blame for the election defeat at the end of last year.

She stated that she did not blame any one individual for the party’s Brexit policy. She said only that there was “definitely a tendency to not really understand what was happening in many of our communities and understanding the strength of feeling”.

When asked about Starmer’s visits to the North and whether he got it, she replied: “I think to truly understand them, you probably have to live in them and speak to people on a daily basis and understand the strength of feeling. A couple of door-knocking sessions isn’t really going to show you.”

Starmer has said repeatedly in leadership hustings and other speaking engagements that he has travelled to the Red Wall seats, to campaign with Labour members and have “gritty” conversations with the residents.

Commenting on the poster, she said: “It is a bit cheesy, isn’t it? It’s just weird because I know Keir. It’s kind of like somebody putting a picture of your brother on the wall.”

Voting in the leadership contest is ongoing, and those eligible have until April 2nd to cast their ballot – though it is thought that the majority of those who vote do so shortly after the ballots open. The result will be announced on April 4th.

Starmer is the current frontrunner according to recent polling, which projects him taking 45% of first preferences before winning in the second round. Long-Bailey is predicted to come second with 34% of first preferences, while Nandy places last on 21%.