Entrepreneur Paul Drayson gave £505,000 to the Labour Party six weeks after being made a legislator-for-life on the recommendation of Prime Minister Tony Blair, according to information released by the Electoral Commission. Drayson was awarded a peerage that entitles him to a permanent seat in the legislature.
The Financial Times reported that neither the Labour Party nor Drayson would comment on this disclosure. The newspaper noted that three legislators-for-life appointed recently on the recommendation of the Conservative Party had made large donations to that party.