The Labour Party will accept no more donations from Max Mosley following his alleged publication of racist material, a spokesperson has said.
The ex-Formula One boss, who has donated more than £500,000 to deputy leader Tom Watson, defended himself on Channel 4 News after the programme said it had found a 1961 election leaflet that suggested immigrants were bringing disease to the UK and threatening jobs.
The pamphlet said it was “published by” Max Mosley - the agent in the Manchester Moss Side by-election for the candidate of the Union Movement - but he repeatedly asserted he was not a racist.
The now-disbanded far right party was led by Sir Oswald Mosley - Mosley’s father and noteable wartime fascist.
A Labour spokesperson said on Wednesday that “no more payments” would be accepted from Mosley by the party or its frontbenchers.
“The comments made by Max Mosley are utterly repugnant,” they added, but accepted that “people can change their views”.
The last recorded payments from Mosley to Watson - made via the Labour Party centrally - occurred last year, but the businessman told Channel 4 he intended to continue making them in the future.
The spokesperson said: “I do not think that’s going to happen. I don’t believe there will be any more payments from Max Mosley to the Labour Party or Tom Watson.”
They added that the party was seeking to move away from “large-scale payments from wealthy donors” and put more emphasis on smaller contributions from members and affiliates, through a system overseen by the party leadership and ruling executive.
“I think we would want there to be a careful regulation and oversight of payments made by anyone - including wealthy donors,” they said.
It was not specified whether Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn had spoken to his deputy directly, and Watson himself has remained tight-lipped over the issue.
“I am sure he would share that view,” the spokesperson said.
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