Ex-minister's firm lobbies for defence and oil giants

Former Labour cabinet minister Jim Murphy’s company has been lobbying Sir Keir Starmer’s government on behalf of arms manufacturers, oil companies and energy giants.

The clients of Murphy’s Arden Strategies have been published in the UK’s lobbying register for the first time since Labour's general election victory in July.

Arden was required to declare the companies it works with in the register this week under transparency rules.

Murphy’s firm is one of the most prominent lobbyists of the new Labour government.

A spokeswoman for Arden Strategies told the BBC: "We are proud of the work we do in support of many successful businesses.”

Over the past 12 months, Arden has spent tens of thousands of pounds sponsoring Labour conferences and events, including helping more than 30 aspiring Labour MPs raise funds for their campaigns.

Arden also works for the Premier League which, alongside individual football clubs, has given tens of thousands of pounds in freebies to Labour politicians, including Sir Keir.

Among the 29 companies Arden Strategies lists as clients is defence giant Northrop Grumman, which supplies weapons components to militaries across the world including the Israeli Defence Forces.

Arden hosted an event on behalf of Northrop Grumman at last month's Labour conference in Liverpool.

Murphy also represents the Premier League, which opposes Labour’s plans for a new football regulator.

The league and top clubs have spent more than £100,000 entertaining politicians in recent years. This includes £4,000 of Taylor Swift tickets given to Sir Keir, which were not among the gifts the prime minister later returned.

Arden’s oil and gas clients include NEO Energy, Equinor, Jersey Oil and Gas, and Serica Energy, which has described Labour’s tax plans as “unjustifiably punitive”.

Other clients include Centrica, Cadent, Trainline, INEOS, Universities UK and the British Soft Drinks Association.

A spokeswoman for Arden said: “Arden Strategies, in common with dozens of agencies and hundreds of companies, including the BBC, entered into commercial sponsorship at political events.

“The BBC’s, Arden’s, and many other companies’ commercial sponsorships of those events are not treated as political donations. As you will be aware, this is the general approach that is taken in relation to corporate sponsorship of all political party events.”

On Monday, Murphy’s company Arden Strategies listed its clients in the latest version of the Register of Consultant Lobbyists. The rules require firms only to disclose the lobbying of government ministers, not opposition frontbenchers.

The company is not listed as a member of trade body Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA), which requires members to list public affairs clients.

Arden provided support to more than 30 prospective Labour MPs in the run-up to the general election, according to social media posts seen by the BBC.

The total amount Arden spent is not known because the individual sums appear to have fallen below the threshold for sponsorship to be declared by MPs.

Two newly elected Labour MPs, Anna Turley and Blair McDougall, used to work for the lobbying firm.

Arden Strategies spent £1,200 sponsoring a fundraising event for four candidates who went on to become Labour MPs. Budweiser contributed £9,000 towards the event.

One of those who benefited, Sarah Hall, the new Labour MP for Warrington South, said she did not anticipate receiving further support from Arden this year.

Arden also spent £2,320 on a fundraising dinner for three candidates fighting seats on the South coast.

Labour said: “We comply with all lobbying rules and regulations and all donations are declared in line with Electoral Commission rules.”

Jim Murphy was a Labour MP for 18 years and held ministerial jobs under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, including as Europe minister and Scottish secretary.

He was shadow defence secretary and shadow international development secretary under Ed Miliband’s leadership before briefly leading Scottish Labour and then losing his Westminster seat at the 2015 general election.

Labour candidates who hosted fundraising events sponsored by Arden Strategies include:

Jack Abbott – Ipswich

Jess Asato – Waveney

Rachel Blake – Cities of London & Westminster

Elsie Blundell - Heywood & Middleton

Jonathan Brash – Hartlepool

Sarah Coombes – West Bromwich East

Pamela Cox – Colchester

Keir Cozens – Great Yarmouth (not elected)

Torcuil Crichton – Na h-Eileanan an Iar

Helena Dollimore – Hastings

Kirith Entwhistle - Bolton North

Hamish Falconer - Lincoln

Natalie Fleet – Bolsover

Sarah Hall - Warrington South

Tom Hayes - Bournemouth East

Claire Hazelgrove – Filton & Bradley Stoke

Adam Jogee – Newcastle Under Lyme

Satvir Kaur - Southampton Test

Martin McCluskey – Invercylde

Kim McGuinness – North East Mayor

Josh MacAlister - Whitehaven & Workington

Perran Moon - Cambourne & Redruth

Darren Paffey - Southampton Itchen

Michael Payne – Gedling

Jo Platt - Leigh

Joe Powell – Kensington

Mike Reader – Northampton South

Oliver Ryan - Burnley

Mark Sewards - Leeds South West and Morley

Alan Strickland – Sedgefield

Melanie Onn – Great Grimsby

Mike Tapp – Dover

Ben Taylor - Croydon South (not elected)

Fred Thomas – Plymouth Moor View

Dan Tomlinson - Chipping Barnet

Anna Turley - Redcar

Katie White - Leeds North West