DEPUTY PM Angela Rayner is facing pressure to hand back £10,000 she received from the trade union at the centre of the Birmingham bin strike.
Ms Rayner is in charge of trying to end the dispute.
But she accepted a £10,000 donation from the Unite union last year to help bankroll her general election campaign.
Conservative frontbencher Kevin Hollinrake has written to Labour demanding to know if Ms Rayner will now hand the money back.
He said: “Rats the size of cats are roaming the streets. Rubbish is piling up at an astonishing rate.
“It’s not just a local scandal. It’s a national embarrassment — and a public health emergency.
“The city is being held hostage by Unite.
“Unite has donated tens of millions to Labour.
“Since Keir Starmer became leader, Labour has received over £30million from the unions.
Angela Rayner, who is the Secretary of State in charge of dealing with the strike, has been given £10,000 by Unite during the recent general election.
This has raised concerns about possible conflicts of interest and whether Labour ministers are prioritizing union leaders over the residents of Birmingham.
Ms Rayner has urged the union to accept what she said was a “significantly improved” pay offer from the council.
She also said the strike was “causing misery and disruption to residents”.
In response, the Labour party stated that the council has presented a much better offer and urged Unite to halt their strike, agree to the offer, and resolve the issue.
