The man at the centre of a political row over Labour’s handling of money he donated has said his financial contributions were “always in good faith”.
Abdul Sattar Shere-Mohammod, also known as Shere Sattar, made donations last year in the build up to general election.
This included a £10,000 donation to Southampton Test Labour, which was declared on Satvir Kaur’s register of members’ interests as an MP in August 2024.
Labour has faced questions over Sattar’s donations after it emerged he had been expelled from the party in 2022 following a criminal conviction for assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
In relation to the donation to Southampton Test Labour, a party spokesperson said: “This donation was made to Southampton Test Labour Party during the general election campaign, but was returned in full very shortly afterwards.”
Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Sattar said: “My donations were always in good faith and I declared them properly.
“They were to support a stronger Labour movement, which was never for a personal gain.”
The Southampton-based businessman said his 2022 conviction related to an incident which arose after a bike had been stolen from the family home.
Sattar joined the Labour Party in 1992 and five years later he was involved in campaign groups to support John Denham and Alan Whitehead successfully be elected the city’s two MPs.
He stood in local elections himself as a Labour candidate, including for the Bursledon and Old Netley ward of Eastleigh Borough Council in 2016, and the Eastleigh South division of Hampshire County Council in 2017.
When asked about the widespread reporting around his donations, Sattar said: “I just want to put everything back to normal as much as I can and get back to serving the community, which I dearly love from my heart.”
