It's OFFICIAL! Regulator Electoral Commission Tells Us That Political Parties CAN ACCEPT MONEY FROM CRIMINALS!

 

The Labour Highwayman That Southampton Labour Hates
Image: Southampton Independents

... and the Electoral Commission has no way of telling whether the political party has paid it back!

Yes, it's enormous.

Yes, it's shocking.

Yes, it's scandalous.

The Electoral Commission regulates the funding of political parties. 

Today, the Commission has responded to Andrew Pope's complaint about three Southampton and Portsmouth MPs accepting a total of £30,000 from a convicted violent criminal, Shere Sattar. And the central Labour Party also accepting £10,000 from the same man. 

We checked the Electoral Commission's database and the register of interests of the MPs:

• Satvir Kaur, Labour MP for Southampton Test
• Stephen Morgan, Labour MP for Portsmouth South
• Amanda Martin, Labour MP for Portsmouth North

The total of £40,000 was originally reported by the Times and Independent national newspapers. And locally, the Daily Echo. Labour says it has paid it back. But where is the public evidence? 

 

Andrew Pope Reacts 

Co-founder of Southampton Independents and member of the Independent Network Andrew Pope says:

 

Andrew Pope in Millbrook, Southampton
Photo: Southampton Independents

  

"I cannot believe what I have just been told by the Electoral Commission today. Please see below for their response in full.

Not only can political parties accept donations from CRIMINALS, the Electoral Commission has no way of telling whether the political party has paid it back, even when the party claims that it has!

The Labour Party has made such claims - WHERE IS THE EVIDENCE? The evidence is there of the criminal's money going into their campaigns, but there is no public evidence that they have paid it back.

Are we just supposed to believe them, when they had already expelled him from the Labour Party two years before? 

I don't. Do you?"

 

Andrew Pope's Complaint to the Electoral Commission 

"Satvir Kaur has been shown by her Parliamentary register of interests to have accepted £10,000 from convicted violent criminal and Eastleigh Labour Councillor Shere Sattar. Sattar was convicted in 2022. He was expelled by the Labour Party. Yet in 2024, Kaur accepted the £10,000. It is in the Electoral Commission's database of funding. There is no evidence that she has paid the money back. There is also no evidence that the central Labour Party HQ has paid their money back. And there is also no evidence that Stephen Morgan MP nor Amanda Martin MP have paid their money back to Sattar either. Please advise whether there is any evidence of any of the £40,000 has been paid back to the criminal Sattar."

 

Electoral Commission Response 

"Dear Andrew,

 

Thank you for contacting the Electoral Commission. 

 

Regarding donations, there is no restriction on donors with criminal records donating to politicians. So long as the donor is permissible, parties, candidates and elected officials are allowed to accept donations from them.

 

In terms of whether we would know if any of this money had been returned, if someone returns a permissible donation then they don't have to report it to us, and as such we cannot confirm either way whether any of the money would have been returned. The law only requires permissible donations that have been accepted over the set threshold (£11,180 but in some cases £2,230), and all impermissible donations (over £500) to be reported."

Southampton MP and Portsmouth MPs Accepted £30k from A Convicted Violent Criminal and Labour Councillor

Satvir Kaur Labour MP Southampton Test
Photo: UK Parliament under licence

In Case You Missed It...

Three Southampton and Portsmouth Labour MPs accepted thousands of pounds from convicted violent criminal and former Labour councillor Shere Sattar.

 

Shere Sattar Labour Councillor
Image: Eastleigh Borough Council

 

This included Southampton Labour MP Satvir Kaur. 

 

Satvir Kaur 2024 General Election Leaflet
Photo: Southampton Independents

 

The Independent reported it here, last year. And we have verified the article by checking the records of Southampton Labour at the Electoral Commission. It is shown in our article here.

The Commission regulates the funding of political parties and candidates.

 

Southampton Labour MP Satvir Kaur at Buckingham Palace with her husband, former Southampton Tory Councillor Ben Walker*
Photo: Satvir Kaur shared publicly via Facebook

In 2024, Southampton Labour MP Satvir Kaur accepted £10,000 from Shere Sattar, despite him being:

1. a convicted criminal in 2022
2. expelled from the Labour Party

The £10,000 was in Satvir Kaur's MP register of interests at Parliament, as well as being in the Commission's database of donations. 

 

Satvir Kaur £10,000 from Convicted Criminal Shere Sattar
Image: Electoral Commission

 

Two Portsmouth MPs also accepted large sums of money from Sattar. Both registered the money in their Parliamentary registers of interests:

1. £15,000 to Stephen Morgan MP, who was the "early education" Minister.
2. £5,000 to Amanda Martin MP 

The central Labour Party also accepted £10,300.

Labour says it is returning the money. 

1. Do you believe the Labour Party that they have returned the money? 
2. What evidence is there, that they have? 
3. Do you trust the Labour Party?
4. Do you believe that the Labour Party and Labour MPs (and other big parties' MPs) may have other criminal money in their donations?

Get in touch to tell us your views. 

 

* Elected representatives are entitled to a private life. However, Satvir Kaur has made her personal life public, including posting publicly photos of her and her baby. It is in the public interest to publish her associations. Her Parliamentary register of interests has never declared the occupation of her husband, Ben Walker. We have checked. However, since 2024, we have reported it via previous registers of interest that she had to declare - with inconsistencies between them that we brought to the attention of the Head of Legal at Southampton City Council. Kaur was given the right of reply, to which she never responded. Walker is confirmed in this role by Kaur's Ministerial register, a copy of which is below:

"Satvir Kaur MP, Parliamentary Secretary

The Minister is on maternity leave until 23 February 2026. Josh Simons MP is acting as maternity cover.

6. Any other relevant interests

Trade union memberships

• Member, UNISON

Previous employment/roles

• Leader, Cabinet Member and Local Councillor, Southampton City Council (2011-2024)

7. Relevant interests of spouse, partner or close family member

• The minister’s spouse/partner is Head of External Affairs at Persimmon Homes"