Grafter.

[Douglas G. Wilson]

M-W Third Intl. shows "graft" = "work" ("British"). RH shows it ("British
slang").

Partridge shows "graft" = "work" as colloquial from ca. 1870.

This seems to be from "graft" = "dig", < "graff" < "grave", pretty much
obsolete now except in the "engrave" sense.

OED shows "graft" = "work" (slang) from 1878.

Several current examples were found by Google search for <<grafter
political .uk>>.

-- Doug Wilson