Or at the least you make it look as though there is a secret connection and a potential vested interest…

IMHO disclosure is the best answer allround then there can be no claim of hidden commitments etc…

It might be that estate agents and developers have a long term interest in ending homelessness in order to create more business, but I don’t see how that creates much of a conflict in all honesty.

On that score it doesn’t fill me with confidence that any putative future Conservative regime will ‘act in good faith’ when interpreting advice it has sought when the interpretation was favourable and yet turns out to be wrong.

That’s like getting the intelligence services to write a report on whether your enemy is a threat to you.

Oh yeah, we’ve been there and done that with the full backing of the these tories.

The Commissioner has obviously decided that given the possible muisunderstandings that he would overlook the fact that they hadn’t been declared provided that the Tories now declare them, then we will see all the details fairly soon.

But there is no question that these amounts should not be declared.

All parties and MPs need to get the whole party finance and MPs expenses and allowances properly resolved – the current mess and sight of Mr Speaker trying to sweep things under a carpet – MPs snipping at each other across party lines and MPs not being totally open about donations creates an impression that all politicians are corrupt which is bad for all parties and those who believe in the democratic process.

Is it of interest that the names in the BBC version of the report also received a total of £1,186,676 from public funds for their “expenses” last year?

Comparing these eleven with the Tory Shadow Cabinet shows some intriguing omissions from the list. Did Davis, Fox and Theresa May (for three obvious examples) not need a bail-out?

Is it also a coincidence that none of the eleven seem to have evidenced any interest in a transparent parliament? Or did I also miss that?

Where I’m sitting: there are still far more questions than answers here.

It was “a story of misunderstandings, of discussions held at cross purposes, of the misinterpretation of conversations and emails”, he said.”

It is interesting that you fail to mention this part of the Guardian report on the Commissioner’s findings … they tried to comply with the law; they sought advice that they followed; the Commissioner decided that the advice was wrong …

As for anonymous postings: not me guv. A touch less paranoia that any comments disagreeing with you must be from me might be in order

Anyone remember Michael Brown?

I feel really sorry for ordinary and hard-working LD activists who work tirelessly to raise money for their party – only for them to employ people like you to nit pick and post anonymously on other people’s blogs.

What exactly does the Head of Innovations do? How much are you paid? And wouldn’t axing you free up some cash for Focuses in marginal seats, where you are struggling financially?

“LD Voice – run by LD activists” – LMFAO!

I wonder if this post will get deleted?

Well I guess Tories would describe conflicts of interest as perfectly acceptable, wouldn’t they.

It is after all a fundamental principle of their habitual method of political operation – ‘you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours’ – and as beneficiaries of such a system of favours, be it Daddy’s millions or secret societies, they wouldn’t want to bite the hand that feeds them.

Senior members of the Shadow Cabinet have been accused of potential conflicts of interest after their offices were shown to be funded by companies that have direct interests in their policy portfolios.

A report by the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner revealed the office of shadow Housing minister received support from five companies including an estate agent and two mortgage brokers, while a medical equipment company’s former boss gave money to fund the office of shadow Health Secretary, Andrew Lansley. The money was channelled to run their offices by Conservative headquarters, declared to the Electoral Commission but not placed on the Commons Register of Members’ Interests.

Grant Shapps, the housing spokesman, has been revealed as the recipient of tens of thousands of pounds in cash from five companies linked to his portfolio. And Jeremy Hunt, the shadow Secretary for Culture, Media and Sport – whose brief includes tourism – took funds from the chairman of the Conservative Tourism Taskforce, John Lewis, who is also former chairman of the British Tourist Authority.

Alan Duncan, the shadow Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Secretary, received funds from the president and chief executive of the oil company Vitol, Ian Taylor, who is a former colleague of Mr Duncan’s and runs a company which used to employ Mr Duncan as a consultant.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/senior-shadow-cabinet-figures-in-row-over-cash-for-influence-829305.html

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