Berkshire-based Bearwood Corporate Services has come under increased scrutiny this week over allegations that the 'Billionaire from Belize', Lord Ashcroft, is to be investigated over his funding arrangements with the Conservative Party for campaigning in marginal constituencies.
Almost 200 articles published in recent days attest to the significance of this news and the controversy it has caused.
Here is a selection of sources: The Times and The Guardian report the news and the Financial Times quotes a Conservative spokesman (identified by The Independent as Dr Liam Fox MP) arguing that the donations were "legal and permissible" (ie that they don't want to give them back and would struggle to do so if forced).
Elsewhere the staunch Tory tabloid Evening Standard is forthright about the risks the Conservatives are taking; even The Sun decides that this is a newsworthy story.
The Times' Red Box blog follows the money trail and asks why the law can effectively be bypassed by a person (albeit a peer of the realm) who refuses to answer questions. In their view the investigation into Lord Ashcroft's 'failure to comply' with requests to give additional information to the Electoral Commission is fully justified.
The Spectator asks the underlying question of where the Conservative party would be without Ashcroft's dirty money and praises a Guardian editorial which underlines how this is only the latest in a long line of stories which show how our democracy is being successively undermined by politicians who can't recognize, or choose to avoid, fair play.
-
On the local scene, hatchet-man Cllr Richard Willis has attempted to deflect the glare of national attention by asking questions about the transparency in local party accounts and has elicited an angry response from LibDem Cllr Warren Swaine.
Oranjepan says:
It seems odd that according to Cllr Willis Reading's LibDems are the best funded party, until you note that his figures do not include non-cash items, operational income or funding from other sources (small donations, MP's expenses etc).
Perhaps it should be asked which party offers highest levels of transparency and disclosure. Though not here, of course.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
-
▼
2009
(449)
-
▼
February
(55)
- HE Under The Spotlight
- Tomorrow PM?
- Recommended Reading List #10
- Politicians Show United Front
- Budget Delay: The Free-Market View
- Budget Delay: The Common Sense View
- Budget Delay: The Independent View
- Budget Delay: The Media View
- Recommended Reading List #9
- Budget Debate Assumes Greater Significance
- Second Reading For Private Member's Bill
- Council Reaches Impasse on Annual Budget
- Feud Ignites Over Local Political Funding
- Taxpayers to Pay for 'Free' Festival
- Children's Services Fallout Hits Wokingham
- Wokingham Announces Council Tax Rise of 4.68%
- University Decision 'Ridiculous', 'Deplorable' and...
- Call-in Success
- Strike Ballot Confirmed
- Filling A Gap
- Recommended Reading List #8
- Strife Spreads Among Tory Ranks
- Electoral Fraud Case Opens
- Labour Avoids Fact-Finding
- Council Tax Updates
- Recommended Reading List #7
- Recommended Reading List #6
- Pro-Business or Not Pro-Business?
- Angling for a Headline
- Child Protection Update
- More Council Tax Rises
- Taking Stock of AWE
- Housing Event Reports
- Recommended Reading List #5
- More Complaints Please!
- Thames Water Strike?
- Salter's Final Bow
- Round-up: Martin Salter MP Stands Down
- Mental Health Conference in Reading
- Your Home Matters; Your Views Count
- All Atwitter?
- Recommended Reading List #4
- Literally Reading
- Round-up: The Council Tax Divide
- After the Snowfall Comes the Thaw
- Reading - In Java!
- Editorial: How Free is Your Media?
- Recommended Reading List #3
- Council Tax Rise Leaked to Local Press
- With Friends Like These, Who Needs an Opposition?
- More Views on Heathrow Expansion Proposals
- RBC Spends Extra on Childcare
- The Wages of Spin
- Editorial: House Rules for Commenting
- Step-gate
-
▼
February
(55)
- On The Eclectica Trail
- On The Election Trail
- Who Is Your Hardest Working Local Politician?
- The Expenses Scandal
- Berkshire Council Taxes
- Reading Budget 2010/11
- Reading Budget 2009/10
- Reading Civic Status
- Reading Festival
- Reading University in Transition
- Reading Buses
- Transport Matters
- Local Crime Issues
- Sport & Leisure Stories
- Children's Services in Reading
- Housing in Reading
- Local Media & Communications
- Weather Issues
- King's Meadow Campaign
- Bath Rd Reservoir
- Pincent's Hill & White Hart Meadow Campaigns
- Save Our Pubs!
- Heathrow Expansion
- AWE Aldermaston
- Berkshire Jobs
- BBC Berkshire
- ITV Local - Meridian
- Teletext Thames Valley
- BBC Radio Berkshire
- Heart Berkshire Radio
- Reading4u 87.9fm
- Reading 107fm
- Radio Bracknell Forest
- Asian Star 101.6fm
- Local Berkshire
- City Local - Reading
- Berkshire Life
- Reading Post
- Newbury.net
- NDS - South East
- Google News - Reading, Berkshire
- Topix News - Reading
- About My Area - Reading News
- Spark
- Reading Forum
Berkshire Campaign Links
- Action For Market Towns
- Amnesty Reading
- Berkshire Nature Conservation Forum
- Bring It Back
- Campaign Against Living Miserably
- Campaign Alliance For Lifelong Learning
- Campaign For The Reform Of Council Tax
- Econet Berkshire
- Greenham & Cookham Commons Commission
- Gurkha Justice
- Jubilee Debt Campaign
- Keep Trade Local
- Kennet Valley Ark
- Living With Fibromyalgia
- Loddon Valley Action Group
- National Playing Fields Association
- NO2ID
- RACE
- Re-Open The Jolly Anglers
- Reading Area Charities Together
- Reading CAMRA
- Reading Civic Society
- Reading Cycle Campaign
- Reading Friends of the Earth
- Reading Pride
- Reading Refugee Support Group
- Reading Single Homeless Project
- Reading Trade Justice Group
- Reading Voluntary Action Directory
- RISC
- Rising Tide
- Save Calcot Fields
- Save King's Meadow Baths
- Save Pincent's Hill
- Save Slough Town Hall
- Save The Bath Road Reservoir
- Save Windsor Fire Station
- SkyScreamers
- SOS Reading
- Stop Heathrow Expansion
- UK Missing Kids
- White Hart Meadow - Have Your Say
- Whiteknights Studio Trail
Reading List Politics
Political Information
- - Public Resources - -
- AboutMyVote - register to vote
- votewise.co.uk - compare the candidates
- TheyWorkForYou
- The Public Whip - MP voting records
- HearFromYourMP
- WriteToThem
- r8yourpolitician
- WhatDoTheyKnow - Freedom of Information requests
- iPetitions
- E-Petitions - No10 Downing St
- parliament.uk
- The Electoral Commission
- The Stationary Office
- The Hansard Society
- Political Studies Association
- Do Politics
- Get Elected
- The Straight Choice
- Democracy Club
- Be A Councillor
- I'm A Councillor
- Contact your councillor
- RBC Complaints Department
- Planning Portal
- Planning Alerts
- Report A Crime - Thames Valley Police
- Report Empty Homes
- FixMyStreet
- FillThatHole
- ClearThatTrail
- Scenic Or Not?
- The Best Of... Reading
- Touch Local - Reading
- info4local
- OnePlace - South East England
- UpMyStreet
- AboutYourArea
- GroupsNearYou
- ONS - Reading Statistics
- DirectGov
- NHS Direct
- NHS Choices
- Consumer Direct
- Connexions Direct
- jobcentre plus
- Tax Credits Helpline
- RecyclingNearYou
Help, Advice & Support
- Age Concern Berkshire
- Alcohol Help
- Berkshire Disability Information Network
- Berkshire Family Mediation
- Berkshire Lowland Search & Rescue
- Berkshire MS Therapy
- Berkshire NHS Drug & Alcohol Specialist Services
- Berkshire SAR Dogs
- Berkshire Women's Aid
- beYou
- Child Support Agency
- Childline
- Children's Information Centre
- Communicare
- Connexions Berkshire
- Daisy's Dream
- Divorce Aid
- Fatherhood Institute
- FRANK
- Gingerbread - single parents
- Heartbeats
- Help the Aged
- learndirect
- Life Story Theapeutic Centre - Psychological and Therapeutic Care
- links
- Living Reading
- National Debtline
- No5 - Youth Counselling & Info
- Parent Partnership Reading
- Princess Trust Carers Service (Berkshire)
- Readibus
- Reading & District Hospital Charity
- Reading Citizen's Advice Bureau
- Reading Community Welfare Rights Unit
- Reading Credit Union
- Reading Refugee Support Group
- Reading Samaritans
- Thames Valley Crimestoppers
- The Edge
- The Pension Service
- There4U - Berkshire
- Tilehurst Poor's
- Victim Support
- West Berkshire Buddies
"Reading List... is fantastic, it could help revolutinise politics in Reading"
Matt Blackall
"Prolific"
Matt Brady
"Irrelevant"
Adrian Windisch
"Bizarre"
Reading Geek Night
"A bloggers digest of the Berkshire blogosphere"
DMOZ
"An easily accessible collection of Berkshire's excellent blogs"
The Cookham Blogger
"An excellent digest of the thoughts of local bloggers"
Reading Guide
Matt Blackall
"Prolific"
Matt Brady
"Irrelevant"
Adrian Windisch
"Bizarre"
Reading Geek Night
"A bloggers digest of the Berkshire blogosphere"
DMOZ
"An easily accessible collection of Berkshire's excellent blogs"
The Cookham Blogger
"An excellent digest of the thoughts of local bloggers"
Reading Guide
So what is it then boy’s & girl’s? Cash for Questions? Cash for answers.
ReplyDeleteIt can’t be cash for acting like a half decent opposition, because that simply doesn’t happen.
Anyway, as long as North Korea keeps on funding the Reading Labour group we should at least be kept in good supply of short range missiles in case of sudden attack from Wokingham.
Ashcroft is def cash for influence. He has already influenced Conservative policy, the selection of Conservative candidates and is attempting to influence their overall strategy.
ReplyDeleteLocally my feeling is that it is more a case of no cash where it's needed and no disclosure where it's not required.
Cllr Willis' figures cover 8 years and work out at less than the minimum wage for one person per party - he was employed by his local party during this period, so where did that money come from?
Local politics has always been severely under-resourced and there has always been massive disparities in resourcing between each party.
Cllr Willis is clearly happy for the former problem to get worse if he can also increase the inequalities in the latter.
I agree that it would be informative if the full figures were published. But that's not likely anytime soon.