Watchdog probes Tory donor's firm
The official elections watchdog has launched an inquiry into donations to the Tory Party made by the company of wealthy party backer Lord Ashcroft.
The Electoral Commission confirmed reports it was mounting a formal investigation into the donations made by Bearwood Corporate Services.
It is looking into a possible "failure to comply" with the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act.
The Tories have insisted the donations were "legal and permissible".
The probe concerns "a number of donations," said a spokesman for the Electoral Commission.
Lord Ashcroft, the party's deputy chairman, has paid millions of pounds to the party through Bearwood, a UK-registered company.
The donations from Bearwood Corporate Services Ltd met [the] tests and were therefore legal and permissible
Conservative part spokesman
However Labour MPs have long questioned whether the donations complied with strict laws banning overseas' donations.
Lord Ashcroft was partly brought up in Belize and he reportedly still has extensive business interests in the former British colony.
He has consistently refused to say whether he is resident or pays taxes in the UK.
The Conservatives have insisted that they were satisfied that the donations were both "legal and permissible".
A party spokesman said: "The Conservative Party compliance unit applies two strict tests to all company donations in accordance with Electoral Commission guidance.
"They are: is the company UK registered and is the company trading?
"The donations from Bearwood Corporate Services Ltd met those tests and were therefore legal and permissible."
But John Mann, one of the Labour MPs pressing for an inquiry into the Bearwood donations, welcomed the confirmation that there would now be a full investigation.
He told the Sunday Mirror newspaper: "Tax exiles should not be allowed to give money to influence the results in British elections.
"I'm very pleased this investigation has been launched. It's a significant first step to getting to the bottom of what is going on."
The Electoral Commission began initial inquiries into the donations last year, but the decision to stage a formal investigation was only made on 30 January.
Lord Ashcroft has become a powerful figure at Conservative HQ where he is credited with devising the party's marginal seat strategy, pouring resources into constituencies where Labour MPs are defending small majority.
WHAT THE LAW SAYS
Individual donors must be on the UK electoral register
Company donors must be registered and do business in the UK
Impermissible donations can be forfeited by the party concerned
Taken From
BBC News 21.02.09
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7904033.stm
d POLITICAL....
...WING of d Bze BANK did NOT fear well a d POLES at all yesterday...EVEN as BAD as d UDPs r proving 2 b, d BLUES have NOT been able 2 make any inROADS into their gRIP on POWER!!!
Perhaps JOHNNY is NOT d DICIPLE that d LORD is looking 4 after all!!!
it is as if...
...somebody TOOK an infinitely sharp AXE 2 mrWEBSTER'S work and bodily dislodged d term neoCOLONIALISM over d last 10/15 YRS...It is apparent that that dubious ACT was a conSEQUENCE of, or a corollary 2 d whole FREE TRADE hysteria that had swept d PLANET over said timeframe.
ONE of d +ve OUTPUTS of d BIRTH and succession of d TRADE LIERALIZATION paradigm was that it brought with it much needed CAPITAL FLOWS from d OECD States 2 d DEVELOPIND WORLD 2 catalyze ECON activities in a wide range of spheres...ONE of d downSIDES of d FREE TRADE juggernaught was d afterBIRTH in d FORM of d likes of a michaelASHCROFT who structure their businesses along PREDATORY LINES with little or no BENEFITS accruing 2 d STATE and with OBSCENE profits being made on d backs of d POOR and SIPHONED OFF 2 some distant LAND with d conTRIVANCE and comPLICITY of various & sundry POLITICOS...THIS is obviously NOT unlike d COLONIAL MODEL xcpt that instead of having d conquest being initiated and sustained by d POLITICAL FORCES of some FOREIGN power it is SPONSORED by CORPORATIONS!!!
In d case of mrASHCROFT whom i have dubbed d Lord And Master of Bze or d LAMB Not of GOD, things have gone SOUTH from d very onset…WHEN d LORD/LAMB became RELEVANT in Bze in d MID-80’s it was under one of d DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVE schemes by d GOB…The intention of this scheme was 2 attract VENTURE CAPITAL from FOREIGN sources 2 stimulate INVESTMENTS in nonTRADITIONAL areas such as TOURISM and agroPRODUCTION activities such as bananaCULTIVATION, CITRUS and shrimpFARMING…d GOB incentivesPROGRAMME was never designed 2 assIST DEVELOPERS in TRADITIONAL areas such as BANKING and d teleCOMMUNICATION business which has become d cornerstone of mrASHCROFTS enterprises!!!
THERE r several preREQUISITES 2 d POVERTY MODEL scripted by mrASHCROFT and his POLITICAL FACILITATORS…FIRST and foreMOST they require a CORRUPT & selfSERVING cadre of POLITICOS whom will do d LEGISLATIVE bidding 4 HIM…HENCE d midNITE sitting of d HOUSE of REP 2 pass LAWs xmptn said LORD from paying TAXES in perPUITY!!!
In d SECOND instance there is d need 2 expunge & bury any & all inferences of TRANSPARENCY & accountability…HENCE d secret deal 4 d GOB 2 guarantee d DEBT of UHS which when initially xpsd was thought 2 b Bz$33MIL but which worked out 2 uummm US$33MIL/Bz$66MIL!!!...This of course was compounded by mrASHCROFTS partner in CRIME, d x-PM whom took it upon himself 2 pay d DEBT from US$10MIL + US$20MIL which were GIFTED by d gov of TAIWAN & veneZUELA respectively 4 d POOR PPLs of Bze!!!
d GREATEST pity about d imMORALl & imPROPER behaviour of mrASHCROFT is NOT so much d choice of d x-PM 2 serve d INTEREST of d BILLIONAIRE over d interest of d MASSES, or indeed 2 have turned his PARTY into d POLITICAL ARM of mrASHCORFTS businessEMPIRE: But d DEAFENING SILENCE of d inTELLECTUAL and PATRIOTIC classes of citizens!!!
mrASHCROFT is NOW at a stage where he has openly declared WAR on d current ADMIN through his BANKING EMPIRE!!!
i HAVE long come d conCLUSION that mrASHCROFT is and has been a GREATER THREAT 2 d souverignty and STABILITY than GUATEMALA!!!




In assTRONOMical…
…TERMS we would call it perhaps a WOBBLE in ref 2 some dissTANT CELESTIAL object…In TECTONIC terms it would perhaps be referred 2 as a SLIGHT TREMOUR…AND in d language of WC FIELDS it would be ref 2 as a ‘CUTTING’ of d DECK, but certainly this MOTION by ZERO 2 move around oneANDaHALF of his political PIROUETTES cannot b C’n as a SHUFFLING of d CABINET!!!...It is typical of d P-UDP Model…No change in subSTANCE…LONG on RHETORIC and SHORT on STRATEGIC orientation!!!