A cronyism row continues in the Labour Party after a businesswoman, whose company donated £67,000 to the party, was given a top civil service job.
Emily Middleton was handed director general in the Department for Science and Technology just weeks after the donation.
Some senior Tory MPs have questioned whether Sue Gray was behind the appointments amid cronyism concerns.
Middleton was a partner at the consultancy firm Public Digital, which made two donations to Labour frontbencher Peter Kyle.
Kyle at the time, was the shadow science secretary, before being given the same role in Government after Labour won.
Shadow Home Secretary, James Cleverly said the appointment raised concerns about “Labour’s very questionable civil service recruitment practices”.
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Train drivers pay deal fails to reform outdated ‘Spanish practices’
Aslef chief Mick Whelan
PA
The train drivers’ trade union has not demanded an end outdate “Spanish practices” which includes the right to re-start a lunch break if spoken to by a manager.
Aslef have accepted a 14.25 per cent pay rise, after the Government granted a “no strings” deal with the union.
However, it was revealed last year that there are a number of costly working practices – including the right to paid time off for medical checks if staff use microwaves.
The policy, dating from the 1980s, reads: “All staff working with microwave ovens shall be permitted to take time off from work, with pay, for a medical check of any effects on them from the microwave ovens.”