Row over political donations

A ROW has flared over a £5,000 donation to Warrington South Conservatives in the run-up to the 2005 General Election.
Coun Paul Kenny, (right) chairman of the Warrington South Constituency Labour Party, says the money came from Bearwood Corporate Services, a company owned by Conservative Party vice chairman Lord Ashcroft.
The Electoral Commission has launched a formal investigation into donations made to the Conservative Party nationally by Bearwood – although the Conservatives say they are satisfied there was nothing improper about the donations.
Coun Kenny said: “David Cameron should stop accepting all donations to the Conservative Party from Bearwood Corporate Services while such a serious investigation is going on.
“Lord Ashcroft is not just the Conservative Party’s biggest donor, but sits in Central Office running their election campaign.
“People in Warrington are entitled to know whether the local Tories will agree to stop receiving any more money from Lord Ashcroft while this investigation runs its course.”
But Warrington South Conservative spokesman Coun Paul Kennedy (below) hit back.
He said: “I can confirm that Lord Ashcroft did provide, via Bearwood Corporate Services, £5,000 to support the campaign of the 2005 Warrington South General Election candidate, Fiona Bruce.
“Both she and The Warrington South Conservative Association were grateful for Lord Ashcroft’s support.
“Since that time, Warrington South Conservative Association has received no further donations from Lord Ashcroft nor does it expect to.
“In full compliance with the obligations of the registration of donations to political parties, all reportable donations since the 2005 General Election are recorded on the Electoral Commission website and updated on a quarterly basis. “It can be clearly seen that the donations are from people within the Association, in particular the current Prospective Parliamentary candidate David Mowat.
“The Labour Party might like to inform voters that its two Warrington MPs each receive a £10,000 ‘communications allowance’ paid for by hard pressed taxpayers. They use this money for political campaigning.
“I understand that the Labour Party has been telephone canvassing in Warrington South, and realise the plight of Mrs Southworth, hence the Ashcroft campaign – something which is being duplicated elsewhere in the country where Labour MPs are under threat from a Conservative candidate.
“In the unlikely event of Lord Ashcroft’s donations being found to be improper, I am sure the money would immediately be repaid in full.”