Top Labour MP gets more than £180k funding from law firm ‘with links to Chinese government’
Parliamentary records show one of the staff members paid by the funding is Christine Lee's son, Daniel Wilkes
LABOUR’S international trade spokesman has received more than £180,000 in funding from a law firm with links to the Chinese government, it is claimed.
Barry Gardiner reportedly received the funds in staff costs from Christine Lee & Co, which acts as chief legal adviser to the Chinese Embassy in London.
The £182,284 pays the wages of two of Mr Gardiner’s Westminster aides — one of whom is Christine Lee’s son, Daniel Wilkes, parliamentary records show.
The donations began in September 2015, soon after Mr Gardiner became shadow minister for energy.
Mr Gardiner, in his shadow energy role, backed China’s involvement in the UK’s nuclear power industry.
He supported Hinkley Point power station, which is part-funded by a Chinese state energy giant.
There is no suggestion the payments were improper but it could lead to accusations of a conflict of interest by party leader Jeremy Corbyn’s senior Labour figures.
A source told The Times: “When you are in that kind of [shadow cabinet] role it is problematic.
Basically this woman is paying for her son to have a parliamentary pass.”
Sir Alistair Graham, ex-chairman of the committee on standards in public life, said: “There are questions to be answered.”
Mr Gardiner said Mr Wilkes worked as a volunteer for several months before getting a paid job on merit.
The MP said he had never been “improperly influenced” by the law firm in relation to his conduct of his parliamentary and shadow ministerial duties.