Keir Starmer handed HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS in donations from eco-zealot helping Just Stop Oil

The Conservative party has demanded Labour hand back £360,000 in donations from Dale Vince after Just Stop Oil protesters caused misery across the country.

Vince, 61, also gave £20,000 to Starmer’s leadership campaign in 2020 and another £10,000 was received by Angela Rayner last year, according to an investigation by Sky News and Tortoise Media.

The eco-warrior, who chairs League One club Forest Green Rovers, donated “tens of thousands” of pounds when the Just Stop Oil group started up and gave them a financial lifeline last year.

Referring to Just Stop Oil, he said: "I understand why they do what they do. It's what they have in their power to do.

"Whereas big business has different powers to pursue its agenda, and we have no real answer to that except sometimes to take to the streets."

But says he doesn’t agree with all their tactics: “When they were smashing bank windows I did say publicly I didn’t think it was the right thing to do.”

Protesters caused chaos in their fight against fossil fuels by blocking motorways and gluing themselves to artwork.

Despite accepting the donations, Starmer said the group were “wrong” and “arrogant” while shadow justice secretary Steve Reed has labelled the group "eco-zealots" and called for a "clamp down on their disruptive nonsense".

Tory MP Kevin Foster said: “The Labour leadership must hand back the money on behalf of those who haven’t been able to get to work or hospital appointments as a result of their actions.”

The Lib Dems, the Greens and groups like Extinction Rebellion also received donations from Mr Vince.

A spokesman for the Labour leader said: “We’re proud that donors old and new are backing Keir’s positive plans for change."