LONDON — Prime Minister Gordon Brown continues to have a difficult time. His problem arises from the need for funds to run the Labour Party.

Tony Blair, his predecessor, was interviewed by the police over accusations that honors (a seat in the House of Lords) had been promised to Labour Party fund donors. It was eventually decided that there was insufficient evidence to prosecute anybody over these allegations. Allegations were also made against both the Labour and Conservative Parties that they were accepting loans from rich people, knowing that the lenders had no intention of asking for their money back. This was a way around the rule that donations had to be declared while loans did not.

It has recently emerged that some donations to the Labour Party from a property developer in the Newcastle area were channeled through third parties so that the donor could remain anonymous. This is illegal and the chairman of the Labour Party has resigned. This is not, however, the end of the matter, as it is alleged that other senior party figures knew who the real donor was and accepted donations from him through third parties, including the donor's secretary and solicitor.