Is Labour's controversial donor Abrahams giving again?
Who should I bump into at yesterday's Labour manifesto launch but David Abrahams.
You'll remember him. He was the controversial businessman who was exposed two years ago for having given more than Β£600,000 to Labour through proxy donors.
A Metropolitan Police inquiry found he hadn't broken the law, but his gifts through third parties were certainly against the spirit of the law on campaign money - Labour's own law, passed in 2000.
I was amazed that the Labour high command let him in, especially given how hard it is for everyone else to get in.
I can only assume he is making donations again. Big ones.
But when I asked him Mr Abrahams refused to say. I didn't have time to show our exchanges on Newsnight, so here they are:
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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 13th Apr 2010, barriesingleton wrote:'I'VE NEVER SEEN A FARMER ON A BIKE'
That was a 'Singing Postman' song. Another might well have been 'I've never seen a rich altruist'.
Donors to political parties are generally the sort of people who are rich by 'shrewd' strategy. These are the 'no such thing as a free lunch' brigade. Donations are repaid in kind. The purchased 'P' or 'K' might have gone, along with Straight Tony, but the quid pro quo, like the rich, will always be with us.
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Comment number 2.
At 13th Apr 2010, jauntycyclist wrote:This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.
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Comment number 3.
At 14th Apr 2010, exlabour wrote:The Labour Party used to rely on money from its working class or 'labour' supporters. It no longer has such supporters or members so it's got to get money from somewhere. It could rob a bank I suppose. On second thoughts it's the banks who rob us isn't it?
How much does it cost for a peerage these days anyway?
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