A donor for dinner at the conference?
Guess whom I bumped into this evening, on his way to the big Labour conference dinner with Gordon Brown?
None other than David Abrahams, the Labour donor who was at the heart of a big scandal a couple of years ago when he was discovered to have given more than Β£600,000 to the Labour Party through third parties, thereby by-passing Labour's own law which states that large donations to political parties have to be declared publicly.
It seems Mr Abrahams is now back in favour with the Labour Party. After an investigation the police and the Crown Prosecution Service decided not to charge him or any Labour officials.
At least seven times this evening I asked Mr Abrahams whether he was now giving money to the party again, and every time he refused to say. Which might suggest he IS giving money again, in which case his name should soon crop up among the Electoral Commission official figures on party donations.
Unless he's giving money again through other people! Surely not.
I'm Michael Crick, and I'm Newsnight's political editor. My guiding rule is that in any story there's usually something the politicians would prefer the world not to know. My job is to find that out. Follow me on
Comment number 1.
At 29th Sep 2009, bookhimdano wrote:the friends won't like you for shinning light into the shadows? Have you stumbled into mordor and seen the orcs?
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Comment number 2.
At 29th Sep 2009, Gareth wrote:Mr. Crick,
Another question I hope you asked is whether Mr. Abrahams had got his money back. Gordon Brown stated the donations were illegal. The Electoral Commission rules would appear to agree. As such the Labour Party should have returned the money to Mr. Abrahams (I vaguely recall they said they would) and forfeited the same value to the Elec. Comm. (as the rules say they should).
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Comment number 3.
At 30th Sep 2009, dennisjunior1 wrote:Michael:
Guess whom I bumped into this evening, on his way to the big Labour conference dinner with Gordon Brown?
Nice guest to see at the dinner.....
~Dennis Junior~
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Comment number 4.
At 1st Oct 2009, Quietzapple wrote:Worth remembering that it was a Labour official who was most directly implicated in this, not the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Yet Cameron had to tell George Osborne NOT to involve himself any further in fundraising/donations after his imbroglio with the Russian billionaire while Peter Mandelson was onboard that yacht.
Sleaze or slease? Never quite sure which applies . . .
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