2000

Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act bans donations made via third parties, intended to stop foreign donations

2003

January 31

Janet Dunn, whose husband works with David Abrahams, a property developer from Newcastle upon Tyne, gives Labour £25,000 on Abrahams's behalf

May 6

Janet Kidd, Abrahams's secretary, gives Labour £25,000 on his behalf

August 18

Ray Ruddick, a builder who works for Abrahams, gives Labour £25,000

2004

January 12

John McCarthy, Abrahams's solicitor, gives Labour £15,000

April 1

Kidd gives Labour another £10,000

June 10

European, local and London mayoral elections

October 27

Kidd gives Labour £2,000

2005

February 5

McCarthy gives Labour £25,000

June 1

McCarthy gives Labour £25,000

April-May

Labour takes £14 million in secret loans to fund its election campaign

May 5

Labour wins the general election with a reduced majority

November 7

Peter Watt appointed Labour’s general secretary

December 22

McCarthy gives Labour £52,125

December 23

Ruddick gives Labour £17,850

Kidd gives Labour £30,000

2006

March

Police begin cash-for-honours inquiry

April 21

McCarthy gives Labour £50,000

May 24

Ruddick gives Labour £50,000

September 12

Peter Hain becomes first declared candidate for deputy leader, followed by Jon Cruddas, Alan Johnson, Harriet Harman, Hilary Benn and Hazel Blears

December 14

Tony Blair gives first of three interviews to police investigating cash-for-honours allegations

2007

May 10

Blair travels to Sedgefield to announce his resignation; Abrahams is in front row. John Prescott also quits

Nominations open for posts of leader and deputy

May

Gordon Brown’s campaign team is offered and turns down donation from Ms Kidd, believed to be £25,000

May 17

Nominations close with Gordon Brown the uncontested candidate to be Labour’s next leader

June

Baroness Jay asks Abrahams for a donation to Benn's campaign. First she accepts £5,000 donated through Kidd, then discovers that secret gifts may break law. She rejects donation from Kidd and accepts a new cheque in Abrahams's own name

June 24

Harriet Harman wins election to be Labour deputy leader

June 27

Blair finally leaves office, Brown becomes Prime Minister

July 4

Harman receives cheque for £5,000 donation from Kidd - neither side is clear if Harman's team solicited the donation or was offered it

McCarthy gives Labour £35,000

July 9

Harman sends handwritten thank-you note to Kidd, inviting "do keep in touch"

July 10

Abrahams gives £215,000 to Labour, in five differently sized lump sums: £80,000 channelled through Ruddick, £80,000 through Kidd and £55,000 through McCarthy

July 20

Prosecutors say no one to be charged over cash-for-honours

Friday November 23

Mail on Sunday contacts Abrahams about his donations

Saturday November 24

Brown, who is in Uganda, alerted to pending newspaper story

Sunday, November 25

Abrahams admits publicly that he was behind third-party donations

Monday

Watt, the party general secretary, admits that he knew of arrangement and quits

Yesterday

Brown orders overhaul of Labour rules on donations

Today

It is claimed that Jon Mendelsohn, Brown's fundraiser, also knew of donations last month

___________________________

AGGREGATES

Ray Ruddick: £172,850

Janet Kidd: £147,000

John McCarthy: £257,125

Janet Dunn: £25,000

Total to Labour: £601,975

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