This is the last article you can read this month
You can read more article this month
You can read more articles this month
Sorry your limit is up for this month
Reset on:
Please help support the Morning Star by subscribing here
BIG money backers helped the Tories bank more cash in the three months before the election than all the other parties put together, Electoral Commission figures revealed yesterday.
The Tories scooped £15,404,569 between January and March as Britain’s richest rallied round their party before May’s poll.
That included a £375,900 donation from James R Lupton, chairman of investment bankers Greenhill Europe, which has interests in health privateers. It meant the Tories topped up their war chest by £22.3 million over the campaign. They have raised £108.1m since 2010.
Labour shadow justice secretary Lord Falconer said the figures rubbished David Cameron’s claims that he wanted to “move away from big donor culture.
”Before his election as PM, Mr Cameron said this kind of giving “helped to undermine people’s trust in politics” and called for a £50,000 donation cap.
Mr Faulkner said: “Today’s figures show the Conservative Party is still reliant on a small pool of large donors, outspending other parties by millions.”
Donations from trade unions between January and March gave Labour a fighting chance in the general election. Labour received £3,538,512 from Unite, £696,680 from GMB, £571,563 from Unison and £449,867 from Usdaw.
That helped Labour raise £9,334,757. Tory donations even outstripped the combined amount given to Labour, the Lib Dems, the SNP and Ukip of £14,384,023 over the period.
In a bid to divert attention from their dependence on big business, the Tories renewed their attack on the trade unions. Thornbury & Yate MP Luke Hall said “Labour are as reliant as ever on the monthly cheque as a ‘kiss of life’ for their finances from Len McCluskey and the union bosses.
”The Tories’ Trades Union Bill aims to cut off Labour funding from the unions by imposing an opt-in system for the political levy paid by union members. Labour’s Mr Faulkner accused Mr Cameron of “putting his party before the country.”
“The Conservatives should be focusing on what’s best for the nation as a whole rather than launching a brazenly political attack on trade unions, who stand up for millions of working people,” he said.
