Did Harriet Harman’s team contact Janet Kidd to ask for a donation rather than accepting an unsolicited gift?

Her statement was vague on this point. The donation was made after Ms Harman became Labour’s deputy leader, making her a more attractive figure to seek to influence.

How could Peter Watt not have known that undeclared third-party donations are illegal?

As Labour’s general secretary he was the party’s registered treasurer, responsible for submitting its declarations to the Electoral Commission. His previous posts were as director of Labour’s financial and legal compliance.

Who else within the Labour Party knew of this arrangement and why was it not stopped and reported?

Peter Watt became general secretary in late 2005, almost two years after the first David Abrahams donation via a middleman. Labour sources emphasised yesterday that no National Executive party officers knew, implying that other party staff had been aware.

How did Baroness Jay of Paddington find out about Mr Abrahams’s arrangement. She alerted Hilary Benn; why not others?

Lady Jay, a former Leader of the House of Lords, is the first Labour politician identified as knowing that Mrs Kidd made donations as a front for Mr Abrahams. How long had she known?

Are there other donations made to any parties registered in the names of middlemen?

Can it be that, in the seven years since Labour introduced legislation requiring that all donations to be declared, Mr Abrahams is the only one to have channelled money to a party in this way? Labour is checking its records.

One of the intermediaries, Janet Dunn, denied writing a cheque and said she knew nothing of a donation of £25,000 in her name. Why?

She may have forgotten or a mistake may have been made in the registration procedure. If she was used as an intermediary without her knowledge it is possible that other offences were committed.

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