Diana Holland is new Labour treasurer

Published: 8 October, 2010
by PETER GRUNER

HOLLOWAY mother of two Diana Holland has beaten former Deputy Prime Minister Lord Prescott to one of the most coveted jobs in the national Labour Party.

Ms Holland, Labour’s newly elected treasurer, will have a big say in day-to-day running of the opposition party and the campaign to get Labour re-elected to government.

An Islington North constituency party member, who has lived in the borough for 25 years, she said she was very excited about the post. And with claims by Lord Prescott the party could face bankruptcy with £20million debts, she realises she has her work cut out.

On Tuesday at her office at the union Unite in High Holborn, where she is assistant general secretary, Ms Holland said: “We are beginning to sort out the finances. There were problems in the past and the system of governance was not strong enough. Some local parties are better than others when it comes to fund-raising.”

And she is optimistic, adding: “Recent figures suggest that more than 35,000 new recruits joined the party since the general election.” 

The treasurer job is not full-time and Ms Holland will continue with her work at Unite. 

“My role will be to ask questions on behalf of the party and to scrutinise the accounts,” she said.