Party donations published for July to September 2008

The Electoral Commission has today published the records of donations to political parties for the third quarter of this year.

Donations to the Conservative Party between July and September totalled £4,060,633, including £54,000 from Stuart Wheeler (pictured) - his largest single donation to the party since February 2006. A more detailed list of significant donations to Tory coffers is below.

Meanwhile, the Labour Party raked in £7,569,090 - although £2.25million of that came from loans (from Lord Sainsbury and Sir Gulam Noon) being translated into gifts.

The vast proportion of the Labour donations come from the unions, but the list also included gifts from several well known names including JK Rowling (£1million), Nancy Dell'Olio (£15,000), Alastair Campbell (£12,500), Tony Blair (£7,500), Sir Alex Ferguson (£7,500), Geoffrey Robinson (£7,934.40), David Blunkett (£5,000 to the Scottish Labour Party),

The Lib Dems received £599,177, including £10,495 each from Sir Elton John and David Furnish.

During the same period, the Greens and UKIP netted £188,000 and £33,663 respectively.

The largest donations to the Conservative Party came from:

Bearwood Corporate Services - £650,137 (in consultancy, focus groups, opinion research and  printing)
Michael Clare - £100,000
Kenneth Sisley - £100,000 (bequest)
Holly Bellingham - £96,000
Rainham Steel Co - £83,000
Bland Group Resources - £60,000
Lord Steinberg - £59,000
Fares I Fares - £58,000
Stuart Wheeler - £54,000
Michael Peagram - £50,000
Richard Harpin - £50,000
Hugh Sloane - £50,000
Kenneth Costa - £50,000
Simon Robertson - £50,000
Lisbet Rausing - £50,000
Thomas Harrison - £50,000
Christopher French - £50,000
Ryan Robson - £50,000
Paul Beecroft - £50,000
Lord Sainsbury of Preston Candover - £50,000
George Magan - £50,000
Boston Consultancy Group - £50,000 (in technical support)
Drillgreat  - £50,000
Michael Farmer - £36,000
Leonard Nike - £32,500
Robert Edmiston - £30,000
Robin Odey - £30,000
Mahomed Galadari - £30,000
FIL Investment Management - £30,000
Abbey Business Centres - £27,000
John Singer - £26,100
James Thomas - £25,409
Emmanuel Davidson - £25,500
Aggregrate Industries UK - £25,500

Comments

[Andrew Woodman]

Elton John a Lib Dem, well I never.

[Jamie]

The Electoral Commission table lists £1,254,638 in "public funds" for the Conservative Party, with £573,308 for the Lib Dems and £80,657 for Labour.

What is this public funding, where does it come from, what is it used for and why don't the Conservatives reject it on principle?

[David Eyles]

Firstly, the £2.25 million from Lord Sainsbury and Sir Gulam Noon is not new money but is, effectively, old domnations made legal and has already been spent. Is it any wonder the country's finances are in such a mess when this outfit cannot even sort its own money out, never mind the national economy.

Secondly, I notice a £50,000 from Lord Sainsbury. Is this the same Lord Sainsbury who has been the biggest individual private donor to the Labour Party in its history? And if so, has he changed sides?

[Dave B]

Looking back at past local election votes for one ward in Reading, it seemed to me that the Lib-Dems and the Greens were taking votes from the same pool. If the Green vote went up, the Lib-Dem vote went down etc.

As donations to the Green Party approach Lib-Dem levels, (188,000:599,000) do they represent a threat to Clegg & Co beyond the Con/Lab squeeze we always talk about?

[Cleethorpes Rock]

JK Rowling, Sir Gulum Noon and Geoffrey Robinson- and Labour have the cheek to lecture us about privilege and money!

I wish I had £1m lying around to give away, but JK Rowling wishes I paid MORE of my hard earned cash in taxes. I'm very touched that the party of the poor care about me and the other plebs so much.

[Tom FD]

Andrew, that may simply have been their Brian Paddick party.

Rather unnerving to see Tony Blair donating to the party. Is this a proper way for an ex-PM to behave - to use his international reputation to bankroll his party? Or is this some strange reversal and merger of the "cash for peerages" and "Granita pact" scandals... cash for leadership?

[resident leftie]

Bearwood Corporate Services £650,137 = Lord Ashcroft neatly sidestepping his tax status.

[Malcolm Dunn]

£7,500 is hardly generous for a man of his wealth Tom. In any case if I was the Labour Gen Sec I would return it as not being from 'a fit or proper person'.
Andrew when you are as rich as Elton you can afford to be a Lib Dem!

[ak23566]

"What is this public funding, where does it come from, what is it used for and why don't the Conservatives reject it on principle?"

The money is called "Short Money", named after Edward Short (Lord Glenamara) who proposed the payments when he was Leader of the House in 1974.

The payment, from the Treasury, are basically to cover the costs (travel, research and administrative) of Members of HM Opposition and other minor parties. Costs technically incurred by Members whilst fulfilling their constitutional duties and separate from matters of Party.

Give the enormous resources available to the Government I personally do not think it is inappropriate for some form of funding to ensure the opposition is able to fulfil its duties in holding the government to account.

[John]

"Elton John a Lib Dem, well I never."

I thought all Liberals blew about "like a candle in the wind!" Lets hope they get snuffed out next General Election :)

[Guido Fawkes]

I make it £3,171,662 in loans written off from Lord Sainsbury, Sir Gulam Noon and Sir David Gerrard.

[Stuart M]

"JK Rowling wishes I paid MORE of my hard earned cash in taxes"

Perhaps she thinks Harry Potter can magic away the debt..

[rugfish]

Recollection tells me that makes Labour around £6 million in the red now and with another 18 months to a general election and another conference to get past, coupled with a few by-elections, I guess they now have another reason to make the banks lend then.

No wonder Labour took over Northern Rock then, it all fits into place now.

Nationalised Visa or Master Card for 2009 anyone ? lololol

[Yet Another Anon]

Elton John a Lib Dem, well I never.
I'm surprised, I would have thought he was a core voter for the Monster Raving Loony Party, but then again as the Monster Raving Loony candidate had quite a sensible view on internment during the Haltemprice & Howden By-Election maybe Elton has decided that the Liberal Democrats as led by multiple leaders are the true heirs to Screaming Lord Sutch?

[The Bishop Swine]

Screaming Lord !! I am glad that Elton isn't a Conservative. He is the kind of showbiz establishment figure that just isn't a Tory.
Now if he had a son it would be a different matter. I find him as relevant as belly button fluff.

[Andrew Smith]

ak23566 says "Give[n] the enormous resources available to the Government I personally do not think it is inappropriate for some form of funding to ensure the opposition is able to fulfil its duties in holding the government to account."

So when were the Short funds ever used by the Tories to offer any opposition to the Labour Government still less to hold them to account? Until this week they supported the government's budget! They support Ever Closer Union and they support the abolition of Grammar Schools.

So why does this opposition party need any funds?

[Paul, Southampton]

"Is this the same Lord Sainsbury who has been the biggest individual private donor to the Labour Party in its history?"

David Eyles at 14:49

No. Lord Sainsbury of Turville (David) is a leftie and donor to the Labour Party. He is a cousin of the Conservative peer Lord Sainsbury of Preston Candover (John).

[Edward Huxley]

I believe J.K.Rowling gave the £1million to the Labour Party because of the money she received from the government when she was a single mother. When will these people realise that governments do not have any money of their own to give away? It is taken by taxation from what the rest of us earn.

I`m not against people donating to political parties; they should be free to do what they like with their own money, but I must say some of these amounts are just obscene. Thanks for past favours or given in the hope of honours to come?

UKIP and the Greens will never be able to dish out any knighthoods of course. Perhaps that is why the amounts they received are so small.

[David Eyles]

Paul@ 22.55: thank you for that info. From memory (often at fault) Lord (David) Sainsbury's donations to Labour far exceed the donations of Unite. One has to ask if this is the reason why the government has been so relaxed about supermarket abuses of their suppliers.