As the Evening Standard reports:
David Cameron is being accused of rewarding Tory donors with free publicity.
The charge came after he went to the training centre for trucking firm Scania to publicise an announcement on new apprenticeships.
Scania’s UK distributor is businessman Chris Kelly, the deputy chairman of a donors group called the Midlands Industrial Council, which has given £561,780 to the Conservatives since MrCameron became leader. It is not the first time Mr Cameron has staged photo-opportunities at factories run by donors. On a trip to Sweden last year he visited a Scania factory.
In May 2006 he opened a new distribution centre in Basingstoke for Midland Chilled Foods, which is owned by Peter Shirley, another senior member of Midlands Industrial Council. In September 2006 he opened a new JCB plant in India and in November 2007 visited the firm’s Staffordshire HQ.
JCB Chairman Sir Anthony Bamford is president of the MIC and gave £ 1million to the Conservatives before the last election. Mr Cameron also declares being given “helicopter and private plane travel” by JCB.
And in March 2007 he opened a new factory for electric vehicle manufacturer Modec in Coventry. Founder Jamie Borwick has donated £33,500 to the Conservative Party and gave £5,000 to Mr Cameron’s leadership campaign.
UPDATE: A little bit of background for people who haven’t seen the previous stories on this topic: for some years now David Cameron has come under criticism for the regularity with which companies that he helps promote via opportunties that are presented to him because he is Conservative Party leader turn out to have links to either himself or the Conservative Party. For several previous examples, see Liberal Review and The Times. Whilst one individaul photo op or other incident may seem innocuous, the question here is about the regularity with which such connections exist. ConservativeHome has also previously questioned this: “David Cameron must counter product placement critique”.
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9 Comments
so what!
You know, lots of parties get donations of time and money from businesses run by supporters. Is any of this reciprocity a surprise? It’s certainly a double edged sword. I know I’d think twice about giving money to any business I knew was supporting the Tories, the Labour, or various other parties.
Mark, what’s he supposed to have actually done wrong here? If a local business gave us a chunk of money and we accepted it, I’d expect our candidates to go open their new factory if invited, etc.
Not sure how this is in any way wrong.
> so what!
So if he’ll sell photo ops now, what will he sell should he get into power? Peerages? Government contracts? He’s corrupt. Simple as.
Have none of our MPs or leaders ever opened anything owned by or done a photo op at a donors?
I’d be staggered if they hadn’t
I certainly know councillors who have.
And really I don’t think anyone in the public would find anything wrong in doing that. After all if your having donations to political parties then publicising it in front of the media is the best way to do it!
Mat: the question is whether he is using publicity opportunties available to him because he is Conservative Party leader to unreasonably publicise firms that either he has personal links with or which have financial links with the Conservative Party.
I’ve added some more background to the post including links to previous stories.
Nice to know he’ll be free of corperate influence.
Coupled with the various stories of sleaze coming out about Tory MP’s and MEP’s this just confirms that when it comes to the old boys network and cuddling up to big business interests they haven’t changed a bit.
Does anyone seriously think Lib Dem politicans don’t do this? and why not ? If a business is legit and a local employer? Do you want to positively disincentivise any donations because of potential negative media coverage? Democracy costs money, state funding is awful in my opinion and if we don’t want genuine brown envelope stuff then we are left with this.
Scania’s UK distributor is businessman Chris Kelly, the deputy chairman of a donors group called the Midlands Industrial Council, which has given £561,780 to the Conservatives since MrCameron became leader.