Subscriptions
Read Our Monthly Magazine
And support our mission to provide fearless stories about and outside the media system
Conservative leadership frontrunner Robert Jenrick has raised the most cash in the party leadership race so far, bringing in over £200,000 from funders since July.
The former immigration minister and mural-defacer in chief came out top in the first round of leadership voting by Conservative MPs on Wednesday. Jenrick has previously faced a major donation scandal after insisting a planning application from a party donor should be pushed through.
‘Anti-woke’ former trade secretary Kemi Badenoch, who almost came third in the initial MP vote on Wednesday, has hauled in the second largest amount of cash, raising £188,900 in donations since July.
Ex-Home Secretary Priti Patel, previously seen as a popular hard-liner in the party, came last and was booted from the contest this week.
The now former leadership contender was neck-and-neck in the fundraising tally, raising £185,700 since July.
James Cleverly, who chased Badenoch by coming a close third in the race on Wednesday by one vote, is fourth in donations for the contest so far, bringing in £91,000 since the General Election.
Conservative Party Membership May have Dropped Below 100,000 as Supporter Income Plummets
The figures do not bode well for Rishi Sunak’s party
Liberals Tom Tugendhat and Mel Stride come next, raising just £68,500 and £30,000 respectively. Mel Stride was expected to be kicked from the contest on Wednesday but pipped Priti Patel amid claims of tactical voting by those keen to get rid of right-wing competition to Jenrick and Badenoch.
Among the top donors, Patel brought in £70,000 from Lubov Chernukhin, the Russian-born British businesswoman. Robert Jenrick received £20,000 from Zahawi & Zahawi Limited, the firm of disgraced former Conservative Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi.
Conservative peer Michael Hintze donated to both Tom Tugendhat and James Cleverly. Tugendhat has been seen as a liberal but has made right-wing noises about leaving the European Convention on Human Rights during this election race.
Cleverly has also been seen as a more moderate (and ‘normal’) force, but has tied himself to the former PM Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda deportation scheme.
The leadership race formally commenced on 24th July and will last for over three months, with Sunak’s successor being confirmed on 2nd November.
Around 100,000 Conservative Party members (membership numbers have not been published) will by then have voted on a ‘final two’ candidates put forward by the Conservative Party’s remaining 121 MPs.
The full donor list since July is at the bottom of this piece, while the top three donors for each are below.
ENJOYING THIS ARTICLE? HELP US TO PRODUCE MORE
Receive the monthly Byline Times newspaper and help to support fearless, independent journalism that breaks stories, shapes the agenda and holds power to account.
We’re not funded by a billionaire oligarch or an offshore hedge-fund. We rely on our readers to fund our journalism. If you like what we do, please subscribe.
Robert Jenrick: £203,100
Top three donors:
- The Spott Fitness Ltd: £75,000 (three donations of £25,000 each)
- Quantum Pacific Corporation UK Limited: £35,000
- Joseph Jack Davidson and Zahawi & Zahawi Limited: £20,000 each
The Spott Fitness Ltd runs a “revolutionary live video, scheduling platform, and app designed for one to one and group fitness coaches.” It is run by lawyer Mark Dembovsky and Benjamin Hodson, a fitness entrepreneur.
Quantum Pacific Corporation UK Limited is part of a global group of companies with interests in energy, mining, and other sectors.
And Zahawi & Zahawi Limited is the firm of disgraced former Conservative Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi.
Kemi Badenoch: £188,900
Top three donors:
- Charles Keymer: £50,000 (two donations of £40,000 + £10,000)
- Douglas Shaw: £20,000
- David Watson Gandy, Neil Record, Dambisa Moyo, Andrew Scott, Growth Financial Services: £10,000 each
Charles Keymer is British businessman and investor, known for supporting conservative causes. Douglas Shaw is a financial services professional and investor.
Neil Record is Chairman of Record Currency Management, a currency investment management firm. Dambisa Moyo is a Zambian-born global economist and author, who sits on several corporate boards.
Andrew Scott may refer to the professor of economics at London Business School, but we are confirming if this is the case. Growth Financial Services is a financial services company based in London.
Priti Patel: £185,700
Top three donors:
- Lubov Chernukhin: £70,000
- Donlow Fininvest: £25,000
- Sunbeam Consulting Ltd: £20,700 (£10,000 cash + £10,700 in-kind)
Lubov Chernukhin is a Russian-born British businesswoman and major Conservative Party donor. Donlow Fininvest is a private investment company.
Sunbeam Consulting Ltd appears to be a Kent-based consulting firm run by Kiran Jassal. Jassal “primarily represents landlord clients advising on a wide range of non-contentious property issues and asset management work in the retail, office and industrial sectors” according to a profile.
‘How the Conservative Party Helped Cause the Riots and why Their Islamophobic Rhetoric Won’t Change’
Ironically, the riots during a leadership election give the party a unique opportunity to turn a page and turn their back on Farage-type populism. The signs are they will not take that opportunity
James Cleverly: £91,000
Top three donors:
- Simon Chappell: £20,000
- Kamal Pankhania: £15,000
- Lord Michael Hintze, Professor Christopher Wood, Valary DTL Limited: £10,000 each
Simon Chappell is a British businessman and entrepreneur. Kamal Pankhania is a British property developer and businessman. And Lord Michael Hintze is a British-Australian businessman, hedge fund manager, and a major Conservative Party donor.
Professor Christopher Wood is “a Welsh-born composer of sacred choral music, best known for his setting of the Requiem Mass, The Wood Requiem, dedicated to the memory of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, together with his Missa Brevis.”
Tom Tugendhat: £68,500
Top three donors:
- Blue WV Ltd: £44,500 (£41,000 + £3,500)
- Lord Michael Hintze: £10,000
- IPGL Ltd: £5,000
IPGL Ltd is an investment company founded by Michael Spencer, a British businessman and major Conser