Nick Clegg has been a financial supporter since losing his Labor seat in 2017. Photo: Stefan Wermuth/Bloomberg
Sir Nick Clegg is funding the Lib Dems in his former constituency.
The party's former leader has donated tens of thousands of dollars to his old Sheffield seat Hallam to intensify the fight against the current Labor Party president.
Olivia Blake of the Labor Party has been the MP for the Sheffield constituency since 2019. Predicted to be the only place where Labor and the Lib Dems will go head to head.
Labour's Olivia Blake has been MP for Sheffield Hallam since 2017. Photo: DAVID WOLFALL
According to the Financial Times, those close to Mr Clegg, who is now a senior Meta executive, said he had provided financial support since losing his Labor seat in 2017 and had “increased” those donations to ensure larger monthly payments. /p>
The Electoral Commission database shows that the Lib Dems have received £85,600 from Sir Nick over the past eight years, with just over £30,000 of that going to his former Sheffield constituency.
p>The Financial Times reported that the former party leader's latest donations had not yet been published on the commission's register.
The Lib Dems are hoping to snatch up to 20 seats from the Conservatives in the July 4 election. its Sheffield candidate Shaffaq Mohammed hopes to unseat the Labor Party incumbent.
One person close to the former party leader told the Financial Times that he accepted the party faced an “uphill battle” in his old seat, “given how much wind Labor has in its sails.”
Donations Sir Nick to replace Sheffield Hallam includes £15,000 in 2019 and £5,000 in 2022.
The Electoral Commission also reveals the former Deputy Prime Minister has donated £25,000 to the central party in the past year, as well as two payments totaling £30,000 to its Scottish branch in 2021 and 2022.
The seat of Sheffield Hallam was once a Tory stronghold and it is understood the Lib Dems are targeting Tory voters in 2019.
Mr Mohammed told the Financial Times: “The next government will be a Labor government . [But] if a Labor government is as strong as the polls show, we may really need an alternative voice in this region.”
The Financial Times reported that they interviewed more than a dozen members of the public in Sheffield Hallam and found no one who planned to vote for the Lib Dems.
In 2017, Clegg, having lost his seat to Labor, changed my life in Westminster for a career in technology in California.
He divides his time between the US West Coast and London, which he uses as a base for travel to Asia and Europe in his current role as Meta's head of international affairs.
A Liberal Democrat spokesman said: “This is not surprising at all. Nick and Shaffak have known each other for more than two decades. Shaffak would make a great MP for Sheffield Hallam. I know a lot of people are doing everything they can to help his campaign.”
Meta has been contacted for comment.
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