A new anti-Corbyn group is receiving funding from Tony Blair's former spin doctor – who now runs Peter Mandelson’s consultancy firm, Electoral Commission filings show.

Benjamin Wegg-Prosser is the managing partner at Global Counsel, a company chaired by Peter Mandelson which helps businesses trying to influence policy.

Also Tony Blair’s former strategic director of communications, Mr Wegg-Prosser loaned Labour Tomorrow Ltd £10,000 on 27 June – at the same time as MPs resigned en masse from the shadow cabinet in the so-called “coup”.

Widely regarded as hostile to Jeremy Corbyn, Labour Tomorrow’s website says it “raises, coordinates and distributes funds for moderate centre-left organisations which are committed to rebuilding a consensus for a Labour government”.

The group was founded by the former Gordon Brown aide Nicola Murphy. Other directors include former home secretary Lord Blunkett and Labour peer Baroness Dean.

Other donors to Labour Tomorrow include hedge fund manager Martin Taylor, Community, the steelworkers’ union long associated with Labour centrists, and Baron Myners, a former City Minister under Gordon Brown. These three donations were not loans but rather full donations.

Meanwhile Labour Tomorrow itself then in turn donated £117,000 to Saving Labour, another anti-Corbyn group that in August claimed to have recruited 120,000 people to vote for Owen Smith.

Mr Wegg-Prosser was Tony Blair's director of strategic communications at Downing Street from 2005 to 2007 (Reuters)

Mr Smith has been keen to associate his campaign with the 'soft left' of the Labour party – with the right-most wing of the Labour party tending to keep a low profile during the leadership election.

Electoral Commission filings released today also show that long-standing New Labour group Progress has been given thousands by lobbyists for the private equity industry.

The British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association donated twice to the group in recent months, giving separate donations of £7,200 and £3,300 each.

Labour leadership contest: Jeremy Corbyn vs Owen Smith Show all 8 1 /8 Labour leadership contest: Jeremy Corbyn vs Owen Smith Labour leadership contest: Jeremy Corbyn vs Owen Smith Jeremy Corbyn and Owen Smith clash at a leadership hustings in Gateshead, where Mr Smith was scarcely able to answer a question without being booed by Mr Corbyn’s supporters PA Labour leadership contest: Jeremy Corbyn vs Owen Smith “Jeremy himself admitted he was seven out of 10 in terms of his faith in the European Union. He said it,” said Mr Smith during his second live debate with Jeremy Corbyn Getty Labour leadership contest: Jeremy Corbyn vs Owen Smith Ballot papers are currently due to be sent out on 22 August and returned a month later, with the result being announced at a special Labour conference on 24 September Getty Labour leadership contest: Jeremy Corbyn vs Owen Smith Jeremy Corbyn supporters cheer and wave placards as the Labour Leader addresses thousands of supporters in in Liverpool, England Getty Labour leadership contest: Jeremy Corbyn vs Owen Smith Labour Party leadership candidate Owen Smith poses for a picture with supporters during a picnic for young members in London Fields, Hackney in London Getty Labour leadership contest: Jeremy Corbyn vs Owen Smith The Labour leader has a spring in his step at a leadership rally in Sunderland Screenshot Labour leadership contest: Jeremy Corbyn vs Owen Smith Labour leadership contender Owen Smith delivers a speech at the Open University in Milton Keynes, where he promised to reverse Conservative cuts set to leave millions of low paid workers thousands of pounds a year worse off PA Labour leadership contest: Jeremy Corbyn vs Owen Smith Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell has urged Owen Smith to distance himself from those saying they want to split the Labour party Getty

The Labour leadership result is due this Saturday at an event ahead of the party’s conference in Liverpool.