Ben Brogan notes that Labour is doing its best to big up the Osborne donations story but there really is no comparison with Peter Hain’s undeclared £103,000. George Osborne told the Electoral Commission about the money channeled via CCHQ to his Shadow Chancellor’s office. Perhaps he should also have made a declaration to Commons’ authorities […]
Interviewed on Andrew Marr this morning, former Prime Minister John Major warned against further taxpayer funding of political parties. Politicians are already remote enough from the grassroots, he warned, and any further taxpayer funding would risk diminishing the connections that the party elites had with ordinary voters. Other highlights of Sir John’s interview: The loss […]
Just back from David Cameron’s latest press conference and I asked him a question about state funding of political parties. I quoted ConservativeHome research that said that four-fifths of party members would be prepared to give more to central funds if the party could no longer rely on big donors like Lord Ashcroft. David Cameron […]
David Cameron has just been interviewed by Andrew Marr. He said that it "beggared belief" that Gordon Brown really knew nothing about the events that have unfolded over the last week. He accused Mr Brown of being a bigger spinner than even Mr Blair – noting that a statement by John Mendelsohn was only released […]
I agree with Fraser Nelson. Francis Elliott’s piece in this morning’s Times, is a perfect summary of the last week’s donor scandals that have engulfed Gordon Brown. I particularly enjoyed this section: "Behind the scene No 10 aides are furious at the Harman camp’s attempts to pass the blame on to Mr Brown for her […]
5.15pm: Two minute video clip of Cameron blasting Brown is now on PlayPolitical. ToryRadio has the full audio. 4pm: A great line from Fraser Nelson (my emphasis): "Brown told Peter Tapsell that "this job is an important job and I will continue to do it to the best of my ability". Yes, Prime Minister, that’s […]
David Cameron has been addressing the CBI Conference and has launched a stinging attack on Labour: "What we have learnt over the last few days is that when it comes to regulation and legislation there’s one law for government – and another one for everyone else. These people, they set up these quangos, they pass […]
ConservativeHome can reveal that MPs re-standing in Labour’s fifty most marginal seats increased their spending on taxpayer-funded postage by 35% in the year before the 2005 election only to reduce it by 22% in the year after. On average they spent £6,091 each – the equivalent of 25,380 letters sent by second class mail. This […]
Ruth Kelly has issued an overnight apology for spending part of her parliamentary communications allowance on a constituency newsletter that, in clear breaches of guidance, boasts of Labour Government achievements. The guidelines state that "no party political or campaigning material is allowable in any part of a publication funded, in whole or in part, from […]
Francis Maude is blaming Labour’s unwillingness to end their dependence on union money for the breakdown in talks: “We are disappointed that the trade unions still hold Labour over a barrel. The unions are running the Labour Party from the back seat, giving them control over Government policy. Labour has rejected a comprehensive cap on […]
Francis Maude made it clear in March… David Cameron has made it clear again tonight… The Conservative Party will not agree to any increase in state funding for political parties unless Labour agrees to a cap on the donations it receives from trade unions. In a letter to Mr Brown, the Tory leader has requested […]
Shortly after Cameron became leader the Party heard that Belgrade-born businessman Branislav Kostic had left his entire estate to it in a will drawn up in the Thatcher years. The money is said to have been invested in a trust and could be worth over £10m now. Kostic made his money in Britain trading in […]
ConservativeHome has long believed that political parties should not be dependent upon the state or a few big donors for their income. We support David Cameron’s belief in something like a £50,000 cap on donations. We’d like to see the Conservative Party fund itself from lots of small donations – ideally backed up with some […]
"The Crown Prosecution Service has today advised the Metropolitan Police Service that there is insufficient evidence to charge any individuals after an investigation into allegations under the Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act 1925 in relation to the Conservative Party. Following the decision by the Metropolitan Police to commence an investigation into allegations of so-called ‘Cash […]
Sometimes you learn something and you wonder why more people aren’t outraged by it. Yesterday Gordon Brown announced that another £2.8m of taxpayers’ money will go to the unions as part of the ‘Union Modernisation Fund’. This is on top of approximately £7m already given. According to CCHQ, one-third of the Fund has been used […]