Labour is set to receive a £5mn financial boost from the former boss of a car glass repair company to help it fight the next election, in an indication that the UK’s main opposition party is proving successful at wooing new donors.

Gary Lubner, who made hundreds of millions of pounds running the company behind Autoglass, told the Financial Times he wanted to give Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer financial help to put the party in power “for a long time”.

Electoral Commission figures to be released on Thursday will show that South African-born Lubner gave £500,000 to Labour in the first quarter of 2023, on top of £200,000 in previous donations

Read more about Labour’s new donor here.