John McDonnell claimed that Lord Sainsbury of Turville should be suspended from Labour after it was revealed that the Blairite peer has also made donations to the Liberal Democrats

Labour should suspend its biggest private donor from the party, the shadow chancellor has suggested.

John McDonnell made the claim yesterday after it was revealed that Lord Sainsbury of Turville, the Blairite Labour peer who has given the party more than £15 million since 2002, had also donated £2 million to the Liberal Democrats.

The former supermarket chairman said that the donation was to support the campaign to keep Britain in the EU. In total he gave nearly £8 million to pro-Remain groups before the referendum, more than any other individual. However, Mr McDonnell accused Labour of a “clear pattern of double standards” by taking no action against Lord Sainsbury for funding a rival party while suspending a pro-Corbyn union leader yesterday.

Lord Sainsbury, 75,