Jason BeattieThe Labour Party received thousands of pounds from an offshoot of Scientology, the Evening Standard reveals today.

The decision to accept money from a charity linked to the controversial cult was taken at the highest level by members of the National Executive Committee.

They allowed the charity, the Association for Better Living and Education (ABLE), to take a stall at the party’s annual conference in Manchester.

Exhibitors at the conference have to pay up to Pounds 13,500.

The stand was part of an extensive lobbying operation by Scientology members to promote its drug treatment programme, Narconon, and the criminal rehabilitation scheme Criminon.

Correspondence obtained by the Evening Standard under the Freedom of Information Act reveals how Graeme Wilson of the Church of Scientology met Baroness Scotland - then a Home Office minister - in Manchester in September.

Baroness Scotland was later invited to attend the opening of the Scientology’s new base in London and was handed information about Narconon.