Knighthood to Kickoff

Sir Mohamed Mansour, the Conservative Party’s treasurer, resigned 10 days after Rishi Sunak’s defeat. Mansour, a key fundraiser and the party’s largest donor since 2001, contributed £5m. His departure follows Sunak’s, marking a time of change for the party.

In a statement to The Independent, he expressed, “Serving my country and party since December 2022 has been an honour and a privilege. With Rishi Sunak’s decision to step down as party leader, it seems fitting for me to follow suit. A new leadership team will infuse fresh talent and innovative thinking to guide the party on its path of renewal.”

This resignation adds to the mounting vacancies within the Tories as they navigate the aftermath of their worst electoral defeat in history. A key challenge for their future, post the selection of an MP to lead them in opposition, will be replenishing their funds.

Mansour was bestowed a knighthood by Sunak in a surprise honours list in March of the previous year. This list also included Demis Hassabis, founder of AI company DeepMind, and filmmaking duo Christopher Nolan and Emma Thomas, who received a knighthood and a damehood respectively. Ted Sarandos, the co-chief of Netflix, was also honoured with a knighthood.

The 76-year-old billionaire, a naturalised British citizen, has generously donated to numerous charitable causes, including the King’s Foundation and a memorial for Covid victims. His knighthood was awarded in recognition of his contributions to “business, charity, and political service”.

Mansour, who served as a transport minister in Egypt under the late president Hosni Mubarak from 2006 to 2009, has previously praised the Prime Minister, stating that he “understands how growth is generated in the modern economy”. Despite losing his fortune twice due to nationalisation by Egypt and Sudan, he managed to rebuild each time.

Although Mansour will continue to support the Tory party, he will no longer be an active member of the party’s executive.

Mansour, known for his political contributions, is set to buy a San Diego-based Major League Soccer franchise for a record $500m. This ranks as the sixth largest football deal worldwide, exceeding the £305m Saudi acquisition of Newcastle in 2022. He plans to build the club from scratch, including players, staff, and an academy, potentially costing an additional $200m.