Who is Waheed Alli? The House of Lords peer and TV tycoon at the heart of Labour 'cronyism' row

The Prime Minister has come under fire this week after the Times reported that Lord Waheed Alli - who had donated some half a million pounds to the Labour party - had been given a pass granting him “uninhibited” access to Downing Street, despite having no official role in the government. This included large donations made to Starmer personally.

Tory MP John Glen wrote to cabinet secretary Simon Case to urge him to investigate, saying it was “deeply concerning” he had been given access usually saved for civil servants, and described the move as “sleaze” by the Labour party.

But speaking to Sky News on Sunday, Cabinet minister Pat McFadden said that, while Lord Alli may have had a pass “for a short time” immediately after the election, he no longer had one. “I don’t think it’s unusual for people to have passes to attend political meetings if they need to do so,” he added.

But who exactly is Waheed Alli? Here’s what you need to know:

Who is Waheed Alli?

Waheed Alli grew up in South London, and left school at 16 to help support his first-generation immigrant parents, according to the Daily Mail. He worked as a researcher for a magazine and excelled at working with numbers, eventually being headhunted by a major investment firm, before going on to work as a financial advisor.

Alli is perhaps best known, however, for his work in TV, which began after he created his own production company in 1992, which later merged with Sir Bob Geldof’s production company. He was one of the co-creators of smash hit reality series Survivor, which went on to be replicated around the world.

He expanded his TV portfolio over the years, taking up a number of chairman and director roles with other major entertainment companies. He is reportedly now a millionaire.

Alli has also held a number of political roles. He was made a life peer on Tony Blair’s recommendation in 1998, and a member of the House of Lords. He has been a long-time supporter of the Labour Party, donating more than £500,000 to the party and senior Labour figures over the past 20 years.

He has also provided clothes and accommodation for the Starmer at various points, and worked as the party’s chief fundraiser for the recent general election, after being hired by Sir Keir in 2022.

Alli is openly gay, and was described by the Telegraph as being one of very few openly gay Muslim politicians in the world. He has used his position in the House of Lords to fight for gay rights, including lowering the age of consent to be on par with heterosexual couples, and a push to repeal Section 28, according to the BBC, which bans local authorities from promoting homosexuality - but campaigners argued blocked legitimate health education work.