Obituary Andrew Rosenfeld
PROPERTY developer and key Labour party donor Andrew Rosenfeld has died, aged 52, after a short illness.
The news was revealed yesterday by commercial mobile network operator The People’s Operator, which stated that its chairman had died on Sunday. The company, which Rosenfeld floated on Aim last year, said “the thoughts of everybody involved with the company are with his family at this sad time.”
Rosenfeld, who co-founded property investment and development group Minerva in the late 1980s with fellow Labour donor Sir David Garrard, was caught up in the 2005 “cash-for-honours” scandal after he lent more than £1m to Labour. No charges were ever brought.
Despite backing David Cameron at the last election, Rosenfeld renewed his affiliation with Labour when Ed Miliband became leader and is understood to have been planning to give the party £1.5m over the current parliament.
Since 2012 he had been Labour’s “chair of nations and regions”, charged with broadening the party’s base of supporters and donors, and last year he married Juliet Soskice, an old friend of Miliband.
A statement released by Rosenfeld’s family said: “Andrew was a devoted and loving husband, father and friend.” Miliband added: “I am deeply saddened by the sudden death of my friend, Andrew Rosenfeld. My thoughts are with Juliet and his family.”
Rosenfeld was known for his fundraising work, helping the NSPCC Full Stop campaign raise £268m during his 10 years as chairman.
He had reportedly built up a fortune of around £100m before quitting England in 2006 to live as a tax exile in Switzerland. He returned in 2011.