Comments on: Conservatives keep their funding secret – again

By: Peter Forrest

Peter Forrest — Thu, 28 Dec 2006 11:58:44 +0000

I see that the Featherstone family donated £11,587 in the lead-up to the Council Elections in May, taking their total to date to well over £60,000.

There seems little point (other than sanctimony) in criticising the donations by others to central Party funds when local donations on this scale, pro rata, dwarf what is going on nationally.

By: Liberal Neil

Liberal Neil — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 14:18:05 +0000

If loans to political parties are not made on commercial terms then the interest that would otherwise be paid has to be declared as a donation in kind.

If the Tories and Labour have recieved such loans and have not declared the resultant notional donations then they have broken the rules.

This is the practice the Lib Dems adopted several years ago after taking advice from the Electoral Commission.

Oh – and you are not ‘Mark Pack’s moral conscience’ – you’re just someone who doesn’t have the integrity to post under your real identity.

By: Mark Pack Doesn't Always Win Elections

Mark Pack Doesn't Always Win Elections — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 11:39:34 +0000

Why should they be on commercial terms?

Name and prove a single Conservative peer who “bought” his or her peerage?

No; I’m Mark Pack’s moral conscience. Who’s WMCMAM?

By: London WMCMAM

London WMCMAM — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 07:13:36 +0000

I am keenly watching that space – the one between your ears.

Tories didn’t declare their loans for months and, looking at the terms they have now – finally – declared, it’s pretty clear that they weren’t all on commercial terms.

How many peerages have the Conservatives sold? None. You’re having a larf, right??!

By the way, are you Justin Hinchcliffe?

By: Mark Pack Doesn't Always Win Elections

Mark Pack Doesn't Always Win Elections — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 20:41:12 +0000

It’s not “baseless” – watch this space. How many loans have the Conservatives not declared? None! How many peerages have the Conservatives sold? None. Your point is?

By: London WMCMAM

London WMCMAM — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 17:07:05 +0000

That would be telling
Yes, that would be like suggesting that you really knew what you were talking about and not just making baseless accusations.

Then don’t make a song and dance about it when it happen to people in other parties
Well, how many loans have the Lib Dems not declared? And how many peerages have they sold? A big fat diddly-squat.

Meanwhile your Tory chums are still hiding behind front organisations and BVI companies.

I suppose at least it’s a step forward from brown paper envelopes under the last Tory Government …

By: Richard Flowers

Richard Flowers — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 16:29:29 +0000

Interesting that Conservatives continue to claim that they can repay their more than £35million pounds of loans by sale of their building.

The building that they valued in their most recent accounts at £10million.

It seems to me that both of these statements cannot be true at the same time.

By: Mark Pack Doesn't Always Win Elections

Mark Pack Doesn't Always Win Elections — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 15:11:17 +0000

Then don’t make a song and dance about it when it happen to people in other parties.

By: hywelmorgan

hywelmorgan — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 14:56:03 +0000

Lots of people get interviewed by the police. Doesn’t mean they’ve done anything wrong. (saying things like that is also probably borderline defamatory but I doubt they’d bother doing anything about it).

Being investigated also sounds dodgy – of course it’s always possible (even probable) that the Electoral Commission investigate a proportion of all donations to check general compliance and understanding by the parties.

By: Mark Pack Doesn't Always Win Elections

Mark Pack Doesn't Always Win Elections — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 14:54:55 +0000

That would be telling! BTW, Tongue doesn’t like the word “Kosher”!!!

By: London WMCMAM

London WMCMAM — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 13:47:44 +0000

Hmmm. There are only 2 donations for £2,500 declared today:

1) from Handwood Press to Haringey LDs

2) from Hallam Players to Sheffield Hallam LDs

Which one did you have in mind? Both look pretty straightforward and kosher to me.

I assume by your moniker that you’re having a go at No1, in which case I know for a fact you’re wasting your time.

By: Mark Pack doesn't Always Win Elections

Mark Pack doesn't Always Win Elections — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 23:20:41 +0000

You’re skating on thin ice here: you have loans of over £1m, have taken a £2m donation from a fraudster (who’s now in jail) and are refusing to pay it back and 5 of your senior officials have been interviewed by Yates over “Cash for Peerages”.

A certain £2,500 donation, appearing on the EC’s website today, is being investigated…