The latest twists in the fundraising scandal

Maggie Thatcher Fan

Prodedural cock up. Thats a good one!

Max Kaye

Mr Harman, aka Jack Dromey, the Labour party treasurer, should also be feeling uncomfortable.

Tiberius

Procedural cock-up indeed. Presumably that makes Black Wednesday a mere addition error!

Travis Bickle

You can't beat Dame Michael for comedy. On the other hand there's a lot to be said for "opportunities for all" when a humble builder and a PA living in such modest accommodation can be directors in 4 companies.

Alex R

Question - who was Harret Harman's "Responsible Person" (i.e. the person the electoral commission clobber if things go wrong). Can't find it anyway.

john sheppard

Michael White is ever more ridiculous. I can't believe he is trying to excuse this scandal The only cock up is the way the blinkers have slipped over his eyes

Caroline

No. You're quite wrong about Mike White, who with age and experience can afford to take a long and detached view of events due to the old 'bin there - dun that - tshirt' (like many of us) , unlike perhaps excitable chaps like Fraser and other commentators here. Perhaps he'd take an interest in young Fraser's idea of 'lets all make a list' and we Lab/Lib/Lind supporters as venerable as him will shamelessly supply reams of 'failures' going back decades. Lets make a start. I know you won't think it's fair but... Almost anything attached to Hezza - helicopters -80,000 mining jobs lost at a stroke. Months of riots. 'Economical with the actualite' - Alan Clarke (lovable rogue) - business men almost jailed - spare parts to Iraq. Oh dear. All those privatisations and millions of staff disposed of. Poll tax - rioting in the streets - again. OMG - Michael Portillo - who dares -say no more. And who mentioned that respected Mr. Major of cones hot lines, back to basics that ruined his colleagues, while he and Edwina...(for 3 years!) Just for fun, we all enjoy a giggle...14 pints and baseball cap. Think I'll just pop over to Mikes to continue the list....ERM....

Nicholas Millman

Yes Caroline, pop on over there and stay over there will you. Some of us "commentators" are veterans too and understand only too well Labour's long and dodgy record in this country. Fraser's list is here and now - about this government. Typical of Labour supporters to point the long finger but if you really want to delve into the past the list could be very long indeed and include such stalwarts as Wilson, Benn the Elder (not the pompous younger one), Callaghan, 70 mph Castle, Foot and many others.

Guido

It is of interest as Newsnight reported yesterday that planning decisions, the remit of DEFRA and the then DPM, had been reversed in areas of the county where Mr Abrahams was 'developing'.

Mrs Campbell

It's not a procedural cock-up it's an admitted criminal offence (and it was made a criminal offence by the Labour Party themselves who happen, unfortunately, to be in Government in this benighted country

Iain Swan

Caroline, were the Conservatives not throen out of power because Blair and Brown made an issue of their incomptetence and sleaze ? Did New Labour not succeed in persuading the electorate that , in comparision, they were paragons of competence and probity ? Is it not the case that New Labour have plumbed new depths of incompetence and corruption and should be removed from power forthwith ?

Caroline

Ian Swan. There was certainly a lot to point to then, and a lot of it was personal wasn't it? I expect that like me you've been browsing the internet reading the blogs and comments this last few days. There have been reminisces as far back as Asil Nadir, and more currently questions being asked about some soon to become Lords, and those already there, not to mention the unsatisfactory status of Ashcroft. I guess that for every difficulty facing the Govt. right now, there is a Tory equivalent to it, right now waiting in the wings. Mike White mentioned the Midlands Industrial Council today. What happened about that - don't remember now, but some may think it's worth a re-visit. Plumbed new depths? Incompetent? Like discgate you mean? We all understand that every organisation is as competent as it's most bored/careless/malignant/hungover person pressing those keys. But we dare not say or accept that do we? Sorry - not the time or place for an essay.

Suki

The only way to make a guaranteed anonymous donation is to leave a brown paper parcel on the door step of Labour HQ, containing used unsequential five pound notes. Most professional fundraiser would have been able to tell Mr Abrahams this -- if he really wanted to be anonymous. ??? Meanwhile, if Parliament decides to vote in favour of tax payers' bankrolling political parties, I for one shall refuse the priviledge !! Anyone out there willing to join me ?

morgan

Why can't anyone make a donation to any political party they like? For example, just supposing i won the lottery and quite liked a political party called (hypothetically) "On The People's Side Party" and like everything else, it can't function without money for its campaign work and so forth, why would there be a right old merry stink bomb of a situation just because out of my lottery winnings i donated to this party that i liked ? Maybe if there was some rule employed whereby folk could donate, but donate through total anonymity ( so as to rule out any back -scratching favours going on etc...) then wouldn't that be okay? Although on second thoughts, you'd think though wouldn't you that the established political parties, like those elected into Parliament are already in receipt of funds, it's call taxes. But should my "On The Side of The People" Party come along, it would be simply in the prospective phrase and as such would be in need of help from its supporters, (its supporters would be its only help) then to contribute something, ought to be quite legit, given certain rules of course regarding anonymity etc...