West Ham United used club money to make a £9,000 donation to the Conservative party last year. The donation was revealed by documents published by the Electoral Commission this week and was made on 26 September. The money was accepted by the Conservatives on 3 October, less than a month before Liz Truss was forced to resign as prime minister.
It is not the first time West Ham, whose vice-chair, Karren Brady, is a Tory peer, have given money to the Conservatives. Electoral Commission records show they made a donation of £12,500 in 2016.
The club’s co-owner David Sullivan last month called the government “incompetent” in an angry response to plans to establish a regulator for English football.
“A football regulator is a terrible idea,” Sullivan said. “The government are terrible at running everything. Look at the mess this country is in. We pay the highest taxes ever for the worst service from the worst government that I’ve seen in my lifetime … Why does an incompetent government think it will improve things. In every area this government is involved in, it has added staff for a worse service.
“The government is doing this for a PR win. They think it will be good PR to be seen backing the ordinary football fan and smaller clubs but I bet you it won’t get them a single extra vote. I believe in free enterprise, not government interference.”
On Friday a club spokesperson said: “As a private company, West Ham United make donations to a number of organisations and charities. Our donations often relate, as is the case here, to attending events that are of interest to our key sponsors and partners.”
Sullivan is West Ham’s largest shareholder with a stake of 38.8%. The Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky is increasingly influential after buying a 27% stake in November 2021. Sullivan’s longtime business partner David Gold died in January. Gold’s 25% share is expected to pass to his family.
