ASIAN philanthropist Shalni Arora, wife of one of Britain’s best-known retail entrepreneurs, has donated £10,000 towards Andy Burnham’s Makerfield by-election campaign.
The donation, made on June 1, comes as the latest Register of Members’ Financial Interests revealed almost £350,000 in donations and other support for the prime minister.
Shalini is married to Simon Arora, who with his brothers Bobby and Robin transformed B&M from a struggling chain of bargain shops into one of Britain’s biggest discount retailers.
The Arora family was ranked eighth in the 2026 Asian Rich List published by Eastern Eye, with their extensive investments and property holdings valued at £3.4 billion.
The family’s business story began in 2005, when Simon, Bobby and Robin invested £525,000 to acquire a loss-making business with 21 bargain shops across the northwest.
The brothers subsequently expanded B&M rapidly and led its stock market flotation in 2014, raising at least £1.08bn. B&M joined the FTSE 100 in September 2020, while the business reported group revenue of £5.57bn for the 2025 financial year, up 1.6 per cent year-on-year.
Simon, who studied law at Cambridge University and later worked as an analyst at McKinsey, 3i and Barclays, stepped down as B&M chief executive in September 2022. He has since focused on the family office’s investments in real estate, private equity and listed companies.
The connection between the Arora family and Burnham predates the donation. Simon and Shalni Arora were both at Cambridge University with Burnham.
From retail to philanthropy
While Simon and his brothers have built their wealth through retail and investments, Shalni has developed her own profile in philanthropy and social policy.
She is the founder and key funder of Belong, the Cohesion and Integration Network, a think tank working on social cohesion and integration. She also founded and runs Savannah Wisdom, a private family charitable foundation focused on women’s rights, social cohesion and structural change.
(From left) Bobby, Simon and Robin Arora Mark Waugh Manchester Press Photography Ltd
A qualified accountant and former biotech entrepreneur, Arora was awarded an OBE for services to charity and philanthropy in the King’s 2024 Birthday Honours.
She and Simon have also funded the UK’s first permanent South Asia Gallery at Manchester Museum. Shalni has received the Beacon Award for Philanthropy and a Medal of Honour from the University of Manchester for her contribution to the city.
She is a trustee of the British Asian Trust and supports work involving women and girls in India.
Other donors
Arora was among several prominent supporters who provided financial or other backing to Burnham during his return to Westminster and subsequent Labour leadership campaign.
The largest contribution recorded was from billionaire and long-standing Labour donor Lord David Sainsbury, who provided support worth £164,347. This included funding for staff working on the leadership campaign, office space and contractors involved in policy and operations.
Former Greater Manchester night-time economy adviser Sacha Lord provided £35,390 towards staffing, accommodation and other campaign costs, including travel, venue hire, polling and digital support.
Television executive and Labour donor Charlie Parsons contributed £50,000 through his company, while Gary Lubner, former chief executive of the company behind Autoglass, gave £25,000 towards Burnham’s Labour leadership campaign.
ThinkLabour, formerly known as Labour Together, provided £22,186 worth of staff and IT equipment, while Ernst & Young provided a member of staff on secondment valued at £16,500.
Former cabinet minister David Blunkett, one of Burnham’s political mentors, donated £2,000 towards the Makerfield campaign.
Four £5,000 donations were also recorded from the Fire Brigades Union, its North West regional office, the Communication Workers Union and Unison for mayoral campaigning between March and April.
The register also records hospitality and travel worth more than £12,000. This included Glastonbury tickets in 2025, where Burnham was speaking, £500 worth of tickets to Ladies Day at Aintree and two Brit Awards tickets worth £3,800 provided by Sony Music.
A Labour Party spokesperson said, “It’s right that political campaigns are funded by the generous support of party donors, rather than via the public purse. All declarations have been made in line with Parliamentary and Electoral Commission rules.”
