100 fatcats who backed Tory tax cuts include tax avoiders and people running firms accused of blacklisting

The Mirror can reveal that a third have ploughed £9m into the Tory war chest while all are likely to have saved thousands from the Tories’ income tax cut

Bosses who backed Tory tax cuts can be revealed as party donors, tax avoiders, firms using zero-hours contracts and others accused of blacklisting.

More than 100 fatcats wrote to a right-wing newspaper supporting David Cameron’s profit-swelling policies.

But the Mirror can reveal that a third of the 103 signatories have ploughed £9million into the Tory war chest.

Four are Conservative peers and one had Mr Cameron as a wedding guest.

All are likely to have saved thousands from the Tories’ income tax cut from 50p to 45p on annual earnings over £150,000.

Labour hit back with a letter to the Mirror signed by 100 backers from “all walks of life”. The Labour letter included firefighters,
shelf-stackers and students.

But there were also well known names such as fashion designer Wayne Hemingway MBE, advertising boss Trevor Beattie, businessman Kevin McGrath and former Blue Peter presenter Peter Duncan.

They insist only Labour can help everyone benefit from economic recovery.

It said: “The fundamental choice at this election is: who does this country work for? Only for those at the very top or does it work for working people.

“A symbol of the failure of this Government’s economic plan is the proliferation of zero-hour contracts, four times as many as in 2010, which have fuelled a low-wage, low-skill economy.”

The bulk of the those signing were on zero hours such as Jack Spooner, from Brighton, who said: “I was subjected to short-term shift cancellations, weeks without work and being blackmailed to work overtime on some shifts, because they had understaffed events.”

Labour leader Ed Miliband said today he was not surprised “businesses want lower business taxes”.

He added: “The Conservatives really believe if the few at the top do well, wealth will trickle down. It hasn’t. We have seen falling wages, insecurity at work.”

GMB Union chief Paul Kenny said the Tory signatories formed “a list of shame”.

The first, Greene King boss Rooney Anand, last year defended a “highly artificial” legal tax avoidance scheme slammed by the courts. Four other pub and brewery bosses added their names. The industry benefited in the Budget.

The second name, hotel entrepreneur Surinder Arora, is a Tory Party business adviser. West Ham United chief Karren Brady has been handed a peerage under the Tories, along with ex-Marks and Spencer head Stuart Rose and Joanna Shields, the PM’s digital adviser.

JCB boss Anthony Bamford also became a peer. He and his family have pumped £6.3million into Tory coffers.

Others honoured include tycoon John Ayton; property magnate Sir George Iacobescu; jewellery designer Annoushka Ducas; internet tycoon Brent Hoberman and Ted Baker founder Ray Kelvin.

Also honoured were Tony Pidgley, boss of Berkley Group; Chrissie Rucker of luxury goods firm White Company and tech tycoon Sir Hossein Yassaie.

Another signatory, Nick Leslau has injected £14,500 into the Tory chest. Carphone Warehouse founder Sir Charles Dunstone has given £5,000 to the party and is a key member of Mr Cameron’s Cotswolds set. The PM went to his wedding.

Embarrassingly, former Railtrack boss Gerald Corbett, who signed, has accused privatisation of “ripping apart” the network.

Many who put their names to The Daily Telegraph letter earn vast sums. Prudential chief Tidjane Thiam got £11.8million last year, Whitbread boss Andy Harrison £6.3million.

Two signatories are linked to firms unions accused of blacklisting workers. John Morgan is chief executive of Morgan Sindall, while Philip Green is chairman of Carillion, which denies the claims.

Andrew Coppel, of De Vere Hotels, also signed the letter. His company uses zero-hours contracts.