Health Secretary Wes Streeting has hit back at claims he accepted money linked to a crypto fraudster during a visit to Scotland, firmly denying any wrongdoing over the controversial donation.
Streeting, who was in Scotland this week, faced questions about whether he had received funds connected to a crypto entrepreneur currently serving a 25-year prison sentence in the United States for carrying out a billion-dollar fraud.
The Health Secretary was blunt in his response, insisting he had no knowledge of any criminal links when the donation was made and that he acted in good faith throughout.
The row has added to a difficult period for Streeting, who has been one of the more high-profile figures in Keir Starmer’s cabinet since Labour came to power. His Scotland visit, likely intended to focus on health policy and NHS matters north of the border, was quickly overshadowed by the funding questions.
Donations with links to figures later convicted of financial crimes have caused repeated headaches for politicians across the UK in recent years. The rules around vetting donors are often criticised as not being fit for purpose, with MPs relying heavily on information that is publicly available at the time a donation is made.
Streeting’s team has maintained that proper checks were carried out and that there was nothing to suggest any wrongdoing on their part. They argue that holding politicians responsible for crimes committed by donors after the fact is fundamentally unfair.
Opposition politicians in Scotland were quick to pile on, using the visit as an opportunity to question the integrity of senior Labour figures at a time when the party is trying to build credibility with Scottish voters. The SNP and Scottish Conservatives both called for greater transparency around how donations are screened.
The crypto fraud at the centre of the storm involved a scheme that deceived investors out of enormous sums, with the perpetrator eventually brought to justice in the US courts. The scale of the fraud, running into the billions, made it one of the more significant financial crime cases in recent years.
For Streeting, the challenge now is making sure the story does not continue to follow him. Labour has been keen to draw a clear line between itself and any suggestion of dodgy money, particularly as the party tries to maintain the trust it built with voters during the general election campaign.
Whether his denial will be enough to draw a line under the matter remains to be seen, but Streeting showed no signs of backing down, insisting his conscience is clear on the issue.