Things hot up in funding row (From Swindon Advertiser)

Things hot up in funding row

10:00am Monday 22nd March 2010 in

By Dave King »

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TORY candidate Robert Buckland has hit out at his Labour rival in the wake of the Lord Ashcroft funding row demanding that she focuses on “issues and policies which matter”.

Mr Buckland, who is standing as the Conservative’s candidate for South Swindon, has become embroiled in a war of words with Labour rival Anne Snelgrove, the current MP, over what funding the party has received from the controversial Tory donor.

Mr Buckland, who narrowly lost out to his Labour rival by 1,353 votes at the 2005 general election, has been forced to defend himself after it emerged that Lord Ashcroft has helped the Tories’ campaign in marginal seats where success will be vital if they are to sweep into power.

He has maintained that he has not received any direct funding from the peer or his company Bearwood Corporate Services.

Tory funding has been in the spotlight after it emerged that the peer and deputy party chairman, who had given assurances that he would be based in this country as a condition of getting a peerage, was ‘nom-domiciled’ in Britain and therefore not liable for paying tax on his overseas earnings.

Mr Buckland pointed out that the Swindon Conservative Party has, in the past, received support from a central fund to which Lord Ashcroft’s company contributed a tiny fraction. He said that although he was reported as saying that Lord Ashcroft was a “major contributor”, this was not the case.

“I want to make it clear that my campaign has never received any money directly from Lord Ashcroft, and we have received no money at all from central funds for the past two years,” said Mr Buckland.

“Nearly all our funds are raised by hard-working local volunteers. “We do not spend taxpayers’ money or receive handouts from trades unions. My campaign is being fought street by street and door by door with the help of volunteers. I do not have Downing Street spin doctors plotting negative campaigns.”

Mr Buckland accused Labour of “utter hypocrisy”.

He added: “Swindon’s Labour MPs have both been receiving £10,000 of taxpayers’ money every year for self-promotion under the MPs’ Communication Allowance – something which a Conservative Government would scrap.

“Secondly, Labour has received more than £10.5m from so-called ‘non-dom’ donors.

“Thirdly, left-wing trades unions give Labour a guaranteed income of millions of pounds – indeed the Swindon Labour Party’s own manifesto proudly declares that it was ‘printed by the GMB’.

“Now we have the revelation that Unite – the union whose strike hit thousands of BA passengers – has contributed thousands of pounds directly to the Swindon Labour Party.

“Labour will clearly stop at nothing in their desperation to cling on to these two seats. “Time and again at elections in Swindon, the voters have rejected Labour’s negative campaigning, and I’m sure they will do so again.

“I now challenge Labour to move on and debate the issues and policies that matter. “The fact that they are reluctant to do so speaks volumes about this tired, discredited government, and will not be lost on the voters.”

LABOUR MP Anne Snelgrove has described Conservative spending in Swindon over the past couple of years as “simply outrageous”.

“The simple fact is that between 2006 and 2008, Swindon Conservatives received £65,531 from Tory Central Office’s marginal seats campaign, which has been bank-rolled by Lord Ashcroft for years,” said Mrs Snelgrove.

“I’ll have to take Robert’s word about their funding in the last two years as their accounts aren’t available yet, but the cash they have been throwing at our town is simply outrageous; they’ve spent over £108,000 on glossy leaflets and promotion from 2006 to 2008.”

The Labour MP for South Swindon said she believes the Conservatives could have resolved the issue over Lord Ashcroft 10 years ago when he became a peer.

“In that time, Lord Ashcroft has avoided paying over £100m in tax in this country,” added Mrs Snelgrove.

“That money could have been used to build new schools, improve our hospital or put more police on the streets; so yes, I think it is an issue that matters.

“People in Swindon tell me that what they want is an MP that delivers for them and understands their concerns, not someone that spends more time on air-brushed posters.”

Mrs Snelgrove pointed out that the Communications Allowance no longer exists, when MPs were entitled to communicate with their constituents under very strict rules.

“Robert might be interested to learn that James Gray MP spent over £1,000 more than me through the Communications Allowance,” she added.

Comments(27)

politicrat says...
10:21am Mon 22 Mar 10

It is refreshing to watch the main parties breaking from the sacrosaint status quo they observed regarding party funding and expenses.
Desperate times, desperate measures I guess.....
And don't we like it when one is saying to the other don't do the dirty laundry washing in public, lets concentrate on "issues and policies which matter".
Well I have news for Snelgrove and Buckland, don't get your hopes for a golden pension too high because chances are neither of you will be (re)elected.....
People want REAL CHANGE, that means new politicians, and realistic policies.