Labour peer faces party expulsion

Lord Haskins says the Lib Dem candidate was a friend

Labour peer Lord Haskins faces being thrown out of the party for giving money to a Liberal Democrat's successful election campaign.

The wealthy businessman gave £2,500 to Lib Dem Danny Alexander, who went on to beat a Labour candidate.

Labour says Lord Haskin's donation breaks party rules.

Lord Haskins says he helped fund Mr Alexander's campaign because he was a friend but also donated cash to Labour on the same day.

Any breach of Labour Party rules had been "unwitting", he told the BBC.

Mr Alexander is now MP for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey.

Two day wait

A Labour spokesman said: "The Labour Party has read the report that Lord Haskins has donated £2,500 to the campaign of the Liberal Democrat candidate Danny Alexander.

"We have now written to Lord Haskins asking him to confirm or deny this.

"If the allegation is true then the Labour Party's rules make it clear that he is no longer eligible to be a member of the Labour Party.

"He has 14 days to confirm or deny that he made this donation."

Lord Haskins, who has acted as a government adviser, complained that he had only heard through the media about the Labour Party's letter to him.

He added: "On the day my wife wrote a cheque to Danny Alexander she then wrote one to the Labour Party and that was for a larger amount."

Kinnock backing

Fellow Labour peer Lord Hogg of Cumbernauld has called for Lord Haskins to be thrown out of the parliamentary party saying his donation "indefensible".

But former party leader Neil Kinnock has defended Lord Haskins, calling him "Labour through to the core".

Lord Kinnock told the Guardian newspaper: "I do not regard myself as a softie when it comes to Labour party discipline, but I find this decision strange.

"I hope Chris will appeal and that wiser counsels will prevail after a period of reflection."