Cameron: "Cuts will change our way of life"

[Glass Kop]

I see the Tories are now focused on privatising David Cameron himself now.

 

Tory Peter Cruddas sold access to PM, Sunday Times alleges - BBC News

 

Conservative Party co-treasurer Peter Cruddas offered access to the prime minister and chancellor for £250,000, the Sunday Times has alleged.

 

It has footage of him apparently making the offer to undercover reporters.

 

London-based Mr Cruddas was appointed Tory co-treasurer in June 2011 and is the founder of online trading company Currency Management Consultants Ltd.

 

The Conservative Party said it would investigate but pointed out no donation had actually been accepted.

 

In the footage, Mr Cruddas is heard discussing what access different size donations would get.

 

"Two hundred grand to 250 is Premier League… what you would get is, when we talk about your donations the first thing we want to do is get you at the Cameron/Osborne dinners," he says.

 

"You do really pick up a lot of information and when you see the Prime Minister, you're seeing David Cameron, not the Prime Minister.

 

"But within that room everything is confidential - you can ask him practically any question you want.

 

"If you're unhappy about something, we will listen to you and put it into the policy committee at number 10 - we feed all feedback to the policy committee."

 

A statement from the Tories said: "No donation was ever accepted or even formally considered by the Conservative Party.

 

"All donations to the Conservative Party have to comply with requirements of electoral law, and these are strictly enforced by our compliance department."

 

The BBC was unable to contact Mr Cruddas via the Conservative Party.

[VladimirIlyich]

I see the Tories are now focused on privatising David Cameron himself now.

 

Tory Peter Cruddas sold access to PM, Sunday Times alleges - BBC News

 

Does Clegg come free?

[JER]

Senior Tory Peter Cruddas resigns after cash for PM access sting

 

Party co-treasurer sought £250,000 donation from reporters posing as overseas clients

 

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Daniel Boffey, policy editor

The Observer, Sunday 25 March 2012

Article history

 

Peter Cruddas

Peter Cruddas, the Tory party co-treasurer, who has resigned after footage emerged of him apparently offering accesss to the PM for cash. Photograph: Eamonn McCabe for the Observer

 

The Tory party co-treasurer Peter Cruddas has resigned after it was revealed he was offering access to the prime minister and chancellor for up to £250,000. He was forced out after footage emerged of him apparently making the offer to undercover reporters.

 

In his resignation statement last night the senior Conservative official responsible for collecting donations for the party said he deeply regretted the repercussions of his "bluster" during the recorded conversations. He added: "Clearly there is no question of donors being able to influence policy or gain undue access to politicians. Specifically, it was categorically not the case that I could offer, or that David Cameron would consider, any access as a result of a donation. Similarly, I have never knowingly even met anyone from the Number 10 policy unit.

 

"But in order to make that clear beyond doubt, I have regrettably decided to resign with immediate effect."

 

Cruddas, the founder of online trading company Currency Management Consultants, is heard discussing how much access different-sized donations would get, during an undercover operation run by the Sunday Times.

 

In the footage, he is heard to say: "Two hundred grand to 250 is premier league … what you would get is, when we talk about your donations the first thing we want to do is get you at the Cameron/Osborne dinners.

 

"You do really pick up a lot of information and when you see the prime minister, you're seeing David Cameron, not the prime minister. But within that room everything is confidential – you can ask him practically any question you want.

 

"If you're unhappy about something, we will listen to you and put it into the policy committee at No 10 – we feed all feedback to the policy committee."

 

A Tory party source said Cruddas's position had been made untenable by the revelations. He added: "He has only been in position for three weeks but has clearly gone over the top and well beyond anything that would be tolerable to the party. It appears a case of him showing off."

 

The newspaper claims the offer was made even though Cruddas knew the money would come from a fund in Liechtenstein that was not eligible to make donations under electoral law. Options said to have been discussed included creating a British subsidiary or using UK employees as conduits. The overseas clients were, in fact, reporters posing as wealth fund executives who had made clear they wished to develop contacts with the prime minister and other senior ministers to further their business.

 

The revelations will be a considerable embarrassment for the government, especially in the wake of claims in the budget of a crackdown on wealth in offshore havens. Cameron has also made political mileage out of his intention to run a sleaze-free government.

 

In the last 18 months there have been three major resignations: the chief secretary to the treasury, David Laws, energy secretary Chris Huhne and defence secretary Liam Fox.

 

During a three-month investigation the Sunday Times claims to have hired Sarah Southern, a former Cameron aide now working as a lobbyist, who advised that making a "huge donation" was the best way to gain access to senior government figures. Her connections are said to have led to a two-hour meeting with Cruddas this month in which he laid bare the extent to which the party has been prepared to sell access to Cameron.

 

Last night Cruddas said he had acted without the knowledge of the leadership of the party. A Tory spokesman added: "No donation was ever accepted or even formally considered by the Conservative party. All donations to the party have to comply with requirements of electoral law, and these are strictly enforced by our compliance department."

 

The disclosures appear to contradict previous claims by the Conservatives that their high-value donor groups, such as the "leader's group", are for genuine supporters who do not seek to influence policy in return for their cash.

 

They also raise questions about the role of the prime minister. Months before taking office, Cameron warned that this type of "secret corporate lobbying" was the "next big scandal waiting to happen".

 

Yet the Sunday Times claims the meetings, at which Cruddas claimed "premier league" donors could lobby the prime minister directly, have not been declared to the public.

 

Cruddas, who built a £750m fortune through financial spread-betting, is also a member of the party's controlling board.

 

 

No way that Cameron and Osborne didn't know anything about this. Fucking corrupt bastards.

[Jennings]

BBC News - Army training to deliver petrol in case of strike action

 

[Anubis]

Does Clegg come free?

 

Clegg had to pay Cruddas £250k every time he wanted a meeting with Cameron or Osborne.

[lifetime fan]

Milliband has had 3 attempted breakins to his offices at westminster.

 

I'm not sure why as they'd find fuck all but maybe a chinless wonder, a ginger slag and Shergar are still up to their old tricks.

[lifetime fan]

Had that prick Steve Webb knock on the door at work on Saturday, whilst remaining very polite I quite enjoyed myself.

 

10 Downing Street could be better fun than I thought after all.

[Anubis]

Milliband has had 3 attempted breakins to his offices at westminster.

 

I'm not sure why as they'd find fuck all but maybe a chinless wonder, a ginger slag and Shergar are still up to their old tricks.

 

They were all before the budget, and were obvious burglaries. Of more interest was the fact that Balls office was nearby on the same floor, would have contained his draft budget response, and was apparently undisturbed. Now, if you were going to go looking for information to use, would you make it obvious, or would you make an apparent burglary obvious to conceal your real target? If I was Labour, I'd be looking closely at the 'undisturbed' offices.

[lifetime fan]

They were all before the budget, and were obvious burglaries. Of more interest was the fact that Balls office was nearby on the same floor, would have contained his draft budget response, and was apparently undisturbed. Now, if you were going to go looking for information to use, would you make it obvious, or would you make an apparent burglary obvious to conceal your real target? If I was Labour, I'd be looking closely at the 'undisturbed' offices.

 

I can see you are just like me mate...a cynical cunt.

 

And nearly always right.

[dickie mint]

Cameron on the news with a face like a slapped arse,I must say I am enjoying watching him squirm,great stuff.

[dennis tooth]

So all their policies are not a result of ideology but rather once in office they decided to have a sell off to the highest bidder for each policy decision? Can someone pay the £250,00 so we can have our NHS back?

[dennis tooth]

Cash for Cameron: Murdoch's glee?

 

Witness Rupert Murdoch's tweet: "@rupertmurdoch: Of course there must be a full independent inquiry on both sides. In great detail, and with consequences. Trust must be established."

 

And the Sun's editorial which says: "Millions will wonder if Osborne scrapped the 50p rate after a few cosy lunches with millionaire backers."

 

Could it be that Rupert Murdoch wishes to see the man who set up the Leveson Inquiry go through the same agonisingly painful scrutiny as he has?

 

And why not, many will ask, after the extraordinary video of the Tory co-treasurer offering to sell access to the prime minister's private dinner table and his policy unit. Shouldn't we be told which donors the PM has meetings and dinners with?

 

Number 10 are for now sticking to the line that what happens in David Cameron's private flat is, well, private. However, they must know that it is very hard to explain the distinction between what happens downstairs on official business and upstairs on private business. So, the pressure will mount, particularly as Mr Cameron himself has said that transparency "is the best disinfectant".

 

We are already told who gives money to political parties, but what access they get in return is not published. On the Today programme this morning Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude confirmed what the Conservative website advertises - that you can pay to have dinner with the PM by spending £50,000 to join the Leader's Group.

 

Labour has a rather more modest "Thousand Club", but Tony Blair's former fundraiser Lord Levy made clear that he invited the PM to dinners for big donors held "at private homes". These events are not and were not listed in the list of the prime minister's official engagements.

 

Some will assume that the only reason the Tories will not publish a full list of who their leader has met is because they have something to hide. We shall see.

 

There is, though, one other reason - a worry about where transparency will stop.

 

Downing Street already publishes the once secret, via the backdoor, meetings with Mr Murdoch and other senior media folk. If they now add donors David Cameron may worry that the list could be extended to people with other interests to lobby for - after all, don't doctors and teachers have interests which they argue for, or people with foreign passports, or cheerleaders for particular causes?

 

Should the names of family members and friends be published too in case they are privately arguing for this or that policy?

 

When the public loses trust in institutions they tend to demand a revelation of all the facts.

 

MPs found that to their cost after the expenses scandal. Rupert Murdoch is living with the consequences of the phone hacking scandal.

 

David Cameron may wish to protect his privacy, but I suspect that the lasting legacy of the "bluster" of the former co-treasurer, Peter Cruddas, will be that we will end up being told who the prime minister has dinner with - perhaps even in his own flat.

[dickie mint]

Murdoch having his say and the shite leathering Osbourne will not be good news for Cameron,must be shitting himself if these pricks start to turn on him.

[Einch]

Murdoch must have been aware of this sort of thing going on with the Tories. I would be amazed if this was not some sort of revenge for the Leveson enquiry and tonking that News International are quite rightly taking.

[Section_31]

Could it be that Rupert Murdoch wishes to see the man who set up the Leveson Inquiry go through the same agonisingly painful scrutiny as he has?

 

Very first thing I thought.

 

The whole thing is rotten from top to bottom.

[dennis tooth]

Cameron Advised Bamford on Making Donations - Guy Fawkes' blog

 

Its nearly always vested interests and powerplaying big powers off against each other, its the only way the public gets a mere glimpse of what goes on at the top when there is division. Its almost always the way when the big stories break. Look how Murdoch framed Gray and Keys when they demanded answers over getting hacked. He had that footage for some time and got his way, this is another such revenge and power play thing although it gives the public a glimpse of the normal way of operating.

Even this Guy fawkes chap I suspect is a Murdoch payrollerdex cheap implant that needs recalling and removing cos he causes cancer but I digress....

Edited March 26, 2012 by dennis tooth

[dennis tooth]

Cruddas’ Tobin tax boast speaks volumes about ‘premier league’ lobbying: TBIJ

[Gym Beglin]

Pre-school carers who can’t read or write

Nursery staff and childminders are being allowed to work at pre-school groups, without demonstrating even basic literacy skills or numeracy skills, a report by Cathy Nutbrown for the Department for Education has found. Final recommendations will be made in the summer.

 

 

Cash point donations to aid big society

Banks will encourage customers to donate to charity every time they use a cash point, under a scheme to be unveiled by the Prime Minister in another relaunch of the big society agenda. 65,000 cash points run by the Link Network are expected to take part. Sir Stephen Bubb, head of the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations, said the big society had been “undermined by public sector cuts and wacky rhetoric.”

 

 

 

Poll shows community spirit

Nearly half of Britons think they’re good at helping others – but would like to be even more community minded, a poll by the People has shown. 28 per cent of people thought that community spirit was more important than green spaces or facilities of children in neighbourhoods.

 

 

 

Woman told to cut her own hair

Carers have reportedly told a woman with rheumatoid arthritis to cut her own hair to save time for carers helping her wash. The woman was left very upset. A spokesman for Westminster Council said they could not comment on the case.

[JER]

Ha! All that careful 'compassionate tory' PR spin gone in an instant..

 

Poll deals blow to Tory hopes of limiting scandal

 

Exclusive survey shows two-thirds of voters now dismiss Conservatives as the 'party of the rich'

Andrew Grice Author Biography

 

 

 

 

Two out of three people believe the Conservatives are the "party of the rich," according to a ComRes survey for The Independent, which suggests the cash-for-access affair has damaged David Cameron's party.

 

The poll shows Labour 10 points ahead, its biggest lead in a ComRes survey for seven years. Labour is on 43 per cent (up three points since the ComRes survey for this newspaper a month ago), with the Conservatives on 33 per cent (down four points), the Liberal Democrats on 11 per cent (down two points) and other parties on 13 per cent (up three points).

 

Worryingly for Mr Cameron, the findings suggest the disclosures about Tory fundraising may reinforce the perception given by last week's Budget that the party's focus is on looking after the interests of its wealthy backers. George Osborne, the Chancellor, was criticised by Labour for cutting the 50p rate of tax on incomes over £150,000 a year while freezing the tax allowances enjoyed by pensioners. Two-thirds of people (66 per cent) agree with the statement that "the measures announced in the Budget show that the Conservatives are the party of the rich", while 27 per cent disagree and 7 per cent don't know.

 

One in three (32 per cent) of the Tories' own supporters agree with this statement, while 62 per cent disagree. Seven out of 10 Liberal Democrat voters (70 per cent) view the Tories as "the party of the rich," while just 22 per cent do not. Among people who would vote Labour in a general election held now, 90 per cent see the Tories as the "party of the rich" while 8 per cent disagree.

 

Mr Osborne's controversial decision to impose a so-called "granny tax" is opposed by the public by a margin of almost 2-1. Some 59 per cent disagree with the statement that "the Government is right to freeze the personal tax allowances of pensioners to bring them into line with those for everyone else", while 31 per cent agree.

 

Conservative supporters are split over the Chancellor's move. Some 47 per cent agree with his decision while 46 per cent disagree. But it is opposed by a majority of Liberal Democrat and Labour voters. Only 31 per cent of Liberal Democrat supporters agree with it, while 52 per cent disagree. Among Labour voters, 27 per cent agree and 67 per cent disagree.

 

Perhaps surprisingly, pensioners are not markedly more hostile than the general public. People aged 65 and over disagree with the move by 61 per cent to 30 per cent. Similarly, the Tories have retained their lead among this age group, among whom they are on 42 per cent, with Labour on 35 per cent and the Lib Dems on 8 per cent.

[Elysian Red]

As much as I hate this government, the first one is a leading question in that poll. Although I agree entirely.

[Section_31]

Regardless of what polls suggest, my own experience suggests there's a lot of support for the Tories, even if it's only passive. It's heartbreaking.

[JER]

Regardless of what polls suggest, my own experience suggests there's a lot of support for the Tories, even if it's only passive. It's heartbreaking.

 

Are they buying the deficit crap?

[Section_31]

Are they buying the deficit crap?

 

The ones I know aren't particularly deep thinkers despite being teachers etc - make of that what you will. The source of their ire tends to be 'scroungers' more often than not though. Or the more general 'Labour ruined this country'.

[VladimirIlyich]

The ones I know aren't particularly deep thinkers despite being teachers etc - make of that what you will. The source of their ire tends to be 'scroungers' more often than not though. Or the more general 'Labour ruined this country'.

 

I'm assuming they werent old enough to remember the 80s and who really did.

Labour just didnt do enough to stop the rot so were complicit in the current state of things.

[Section_31]

I'm assuming they werent old enough to remember the 80s and who really did.

Labour just didnt do enough to stop the rot so were complicit in the current state of things.

 

They have a kind of vague idea of what's going on in the country, more like a lizard's grasp of the world. When it comes to politics, society, life, most people only use their brain stem.