Peter Cruddas Donations Row - Labour Calls For Full Inquiry

The Huffington Post UK  |  By   |  Posted: 25/03/2012 12:16 Updated: 25/03/2012 12:24

Labour Shadow minister Michael Dugher is calling on David Cameron to launch a full inquiry over claims by ex-Tory party co-Treasurer Peter Cruddas, who has been caught offering access to the heart of government in exchange for large donations.

The PM has already said there will be an internal party inquiry - this doesn't appear to be satisfying Labour, who say in the letter:

Dear Prime Minister,

I write to you following reports in the Sunday Times today of rich individuals being offered access to, and influence upon, the heart of your Government in return for sizeable cash donations.

Suggestions that in return for large donations individuals can be granted direct access to you and the opportunity to influence policy via submissions to your Number 10 Policy Unit are incredibly serious.

When ordinary doctors and nurses have had their views so completely ignored on the issue of the disastrous NHS reorganisation, it will be all the more frustrating to hear that someone who could afford a quarter of a million pounds seems able to ensure their voice is listened too.

This is not about Peter Cruddas or any individual. It is about the way your Government is conducted.

In Opposition you said that "sunshine is the best disinfectant". I agree. It is vital that we now have full transparency in this matter. Therefore I would ask you for immediate clarity on the following issues:

· Which donors to the Conservative Party have visited No10 Downing Street, Chequers or Dorneywood since May 2010?

· Which donors to the Conservative Party have made submissions to the Number 10 Policy Unit, both orally and written, when were these made, and on what topics?

· In particular, in light of this week's Budget, will you provide details of all donors who have made representations, both written and orally, on changes to the 50p tax rate?

· In the light of these allegations can you explain why - as reported in the Independent newspaper on 22 October 2011 - you personally intervened in the Sir Christopher Kelly's investigation into party funding to request that the Committee on Standards in Public Life revise draft proposals to introduce a cap on large donations - a proposal which if implemented would have prevented such allegations of large cash donations for access ever arising?

On 8 February 2010, you said that lobbying was "the next big scandal waiting to happen. It's an issue that crosses party lines and has tainted our politics for too long, an issue that exposes the far-too-cosy relationship between politics, government, business and money." For all those words action by your Government to address this is long overdue.

Today you said that you would ensure there was "a proper party inquiry" into these matters. However, given the seriousness of the allegations about how Government is conducted, it is not appropriate for the Conservative Party to investigate itself. We need a full, independent inquiry. Therefore I ask that you now request the Independent Adviser on Standards in Public Life to launch an inquiry into this matter, to answer these and any other related questions he sees fit.

I look forward to your response.

Yours sincerely,

Michael Dugher MP

PETER CRUDDAS RESIGNATION - FULL COVERAGE

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Labour Shadow minister Michael Dugher is calling on David Cameron to launch a full inquiry over claims by ex-Tory party co-Treasurer Peter Cruddas, who has been caught offering access to the heart of ...
Labour Shadow minister Michael Dugher is calling on David Cameron to launch a full inquiry over claims by ex-Tory party co-Treasurer Peter Cruddas, who has been caught offering access to the heart of ...
 
 
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07:54 AM on 03/26/2012
Politicians, most of them are on the make in some way or other, this has been exposed time and time again and that's only the little that has been exposed, the bit they didn't manage to keep a lid on. Give them a bit of power and influence and they'll twist it and manipulate to their advantage if they think they can get away with it. Honest, genuine and trustworthy are not words I associate with politicians in general, dishonest, manipulative, greedy, untrustworthy, disingenuous, now these are words that, generally speaking, fit the bill perfectly it seems.
07:17 AM on 03/26/2012
£250.000 to have dinner thought there was no money in the county
05:52 AM on 03/26/2012
The latest little gem is that his "guests" at no.10 have just been old friends that happened to have donated to the Conservative Party......of course David, I'm sure we'll all believe you !
Confirmation , yet again , that our political system is totally rotten. DO US ALL A FAVOUR AND RESIGN !
02:20 AM on 03/26/2012
£250,000 and you get to eat dinner with the Cameron's in the flat at number 10. Is Mrs C that good a cook? Does Dave go round with the After Eights? Do the kids put on a little show for their guests like a reduced Von Trapp family? It must be wonderful, I can't think of anything better to spend a quarter of a million quid on.
12:49 AM on 03/26/2012
Welcome to Bent Britain.
Is this government the worst ever seen?
Cash for contracts? (NHS privatization)
Cash to ATOS who fail at what they are doing, but as the figures they wrongly produce make the government look good seem to be getting more money to waste.

All I've seen the government do is threaten the country in anyway they can to fill their own pockets. Private school next and private roads, all in the name of filling their own pockets even more.

They were elected to represent the public not themselves!
They were elected to put the public's interest before their own.
Lansley and the Health bill prove that one a lie!

everything they do causes harm to someone somewhere, they pick on disabled because they know they cant fight back and treat kids like slaves. Its as if they are pushing for riots just so they can manipulate the country into what ever they want doing.
11:41 PM on 03/25/2012
So what have we here?Lots of bloodsucking supporters of The (unelected) Greedy Corrupt Party who clearly look forward to the Tories draging this country back to the horrors we faced under Thatcher and Major et al. Oh! But of course GB still have not elected The Greedy Corrupt Party it was their buddies in The Gutless Chickens Party who did that. Hmmm they weren't elected either.
Here we are then going ever further downhill to the cheers of the supporters The Greedy Corrupt Partry. Can't help but notice the silence from the supporters of the Gutless Chickens Party is almost deafening!
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jimbraid1
10:48 PM on 03/25/2012
Cash for honours, remember that ?, during TB's reign !
11:28 PM on 03/25/2012
Yes i do , whats your point ?? This is about our present PM who stood up in the commans and said what he did about all this . I for one demand a independent inq and i am not Labour i am a tax payer that want to know how much if any he been making on the side for favours
12:57 AM on 03/26/2012
Cash for contracts? Lansley filling his own pockets?
28% of Tory lords got shares in health companies that are about to sign seal and receive money after the Health bill was passed? Someone filling their own pockets? AGAIN!

In fact on the subject of Lansley, how can he be above the law?
I fail to comprehend how a MP can ignore a judge over releasing the risk register over the Health bill.
So are MPs above the law?
10:43 PM on 03/25/2012
Inquiry?...what for they do nothing....ervy one is a whitewash look at the inquiry on the phone hacking...whats going to come of it.....nothing
10:35 PM on 03/25/2012
Loads of comments on here from the life embittered , envious good for nothing failed socialists
12:19 AM on 03/26/2012
I trust that you're not suggesting that all socialists are "life embittered, envious, good-for-nothing, failed"? Or are you? If so, you're quite wrong: as a lifelong socialist I am life-enriched, envious of no-one, good for quite a bit yet and successful by social as well as economic standards. I find that your stereotypes are unhelpful. Cameron's lot are tainted, and it doesn't take an enquiry to tell us that.
10:52 AM on 03/26/2012
You are clutching at straws , looking for any reason to deny that cameron is doing the right thing to put the country back on a stable finacial footing , after labour left us almost bankrupt AGAIN , as they do it everytime .
09:23 PM on 03/25/2012
No matter who you vote for, they are all tarred with the same brush!
09:34 PM on 03/25/2012
True Jack but the torys on here seem to think its ok because of Labours past , well its not ok and should be looked into and not by the person accused Cameron
12:55 PM on 03/26/2012
Very true, it needs stamping out across all partys
09:20 PM on 03/25/2012
Come on Miliband grow up, Camerons' is certainly no saint, but did you call for an enquiry when Blair and Brown were abusing their positions of trust and rodding the electorate?
09:27 PM on 03/25/2012
And the Torys did not ask or say anything about it , Torys had there go at Labour now its Labours turn , what did you expect
09:42 PM on 03/25/2012
I know they are all the same rchrdsn388, but I'd hope that they were professional enough to do the job they're paid to do, get the country out of the mess it's in and keep their cheap party politics, backstabbing and fiddling out of it.
08:49 PM on 03/25/2012
Now we know why they are talking about a third runway at heathrow airport. Money talks.
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Blockem1
When will our politicians start putting policies
08:28 PM on 03/25/2012
They are desperate for money especially as Cameron failed to deliver ,Dodgey Dave's fund raising mate has all his cash stashed in Monaco ... need we say more .
08:23 PM on 03/25/2012
This will come to haunt the tories,OLD GRANNIES WILL BEAT THE PULP OF TORIES for thi
08:20 PM on 03/25/2012
Deceiving,dishonest tories,playing tricks behind the curtains&fooling the OLD GRANIES