Jonathan Neil Mendelsohn

This article is part of the Revolving Door project of Spinwatch.

Jon Mendelsohn (Lord Mendelsohn) is a key New Labour fixer, fundraiser and former lobbyist. In 2007 he was appointed as director of election resources for the party under Gordon Brown.

On the 5 September 2013 he was created a Labour peer in the House of Lords.

Early life

Mendelsohn was a member of the 'socialist' Zionist youth group Habonim Dror in his youth. The Jewish Chronicle reported in 1983 on a reunion for members of Habonim from Oxford:

The Oxford reunion - for chaverim who participated in the movement's summer scheme in Israel - was held at a farmhouse. Everyone present received a copy of Habonim's Israel camp diary, a reminder of summer scheme memories and mishaps, compiled by Jonny Mendelsohn and Jonny Freedland, with the help of madrichim, Dan Friedler and Bev vincent.

In 1989-90 Mendelsohn was 'Chairperson' of the Union of Jewish Students.

Lobbying and links to New Labour

Mendelsohn, a former adviser to Tony Blair, co-founded lobbying firm LLM Communications, which was bought by PR firm Financial Dynamics. In 2007, Mendelsohn left FD-LLM to return to the Labour Party to become director of General Election resources and its chief fundraiser. Mendelsohn was later embroiled in Labour’s funding scandal, and faced calls to quit after it was alleged he knew of arrangements to fund the Labour Party through intermediaries.

According to the Jewish Chronicle: "Mendelsohn, who will report directly to International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander - Labour's general election co-ordinator - is charged with bolstering the party's finances, membership and organisation ahead of the election. The reports noted that Mendelsohn had been an adviser to Tony Blair from 1995-97, was co-founder of lobbying outfit LLM Communications and had provided £5,000 to help fund Brown's uncontested leadership campaign.

The Chronicle also noted Mendelsohn's 'work for Ruth Parasol, the daughter of a Holocaust survivor, who made her first fortune through an internet sex site before becoming one of the biggest players in the online gaming industry at PartyGaming.'

The Chronicle reported that Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran 'recall that they had met Mendelsohn in the late 1990s when his firm was allegedly telling clients that it could supply them with an advanced copy of the Chancellor's Mansion House speech, a key event of the financial calendar. "Obviously Gordon doesn't hold any of that against Mendelsohn," the writers suggest.'

The Chronicle also notes a reference to Mendelsohn in the Mail on Sunday's Black Dog diary column. 'It suggested that the lobbyist's "number one asset is his feisty wife Nicola", an advertising executive who is a "ferocious networker, whose contacts range from the Prince of Wales to London's business elite". It notes her personal mantra is "Chutzpah is everything".'

Affiliations

• Labour Friends of Israel, former treasurer.
• LLM Communications
• Policy Network
• Berwin Leighton Paisner(general commercial), paid adviser
• Oakvale Capital LLP, Partner,
• Value Retail plc (general commercial), senior adviser,
• Stern Advisory Group (corporate intelligence services), interim non-executive chairman,
• Director, Green Bay Capital Ltd (financial services and investments)
• Director, Redbus Group Ltd (holding company)
• Director, Red Capital Ltd (business services and venturing)
• Partner, Oakvale Capital LLP
• Abraham Accords (UK) - director since 27 May 2021.
• Justice for Kurds