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Russian and other foreign money donated to Tory Party

(15 Posts)
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Fleurpepper Mon 08-May-23 12:11:53

This is serious stuff - thanks Pauline

These thoughts came as Dominic Grieve, the former Tory attorney general and until 2019 the chair of the parliamentary ISC, attacked the Conservative Party for its continued acceptance of money linked to the Kremlin.

“This extract from an article by Richard Vaughn in the Independent on 23/02/2022 is still very relevant and, bearing in mind the government's recent refusal to prevent foreign donations to political parties we all need to wake up to just how complicit the conservative party is with Russia

This is what Dominic Grieve, the former Tory intelligence chief had to say.

"It should never have accepted money, this has been a long-running saga for the Government,” Mr Grieve said. “What has been obvious for a long time is that anybody who is a Russian living in the UK and continues to have business, family and any other links to Russia, you have to factor in their reasons for giving money to the Tory party may not be entirely altruistic.”

The former MP, who lost the Conservative whip over Brexit and later ran for Parliament as an independent, added: “There may be Russians who have escaped Vladimir Putin, and are critics of his regime, but there are a significant number of Russians in the UK who have links with the Russian regime.”

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Foxygloves Mon 08-May-23 12:14:20

Who is Pauline?

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Germanshepherdsmum Mon 08-May-23 14:13:06

No idea. Is it copied and pasted?

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maddyone Mon 08-May-23 14:16:39

Indeed, Who is Pauline?

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Fleurpepper Mon 08-May-23 14:16:41

Who Pauline is makes no difference. She is the lady who posted this and agreed for me to share. 100% irrelevant here.

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Germanshepherdsmum Mon 08-May-23 14:42:02

So this is what Pauline has to say, not fleurpepper?

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M0nica Mon 08-May-23 15:10:32

No political party should be taking money from anyone who is not a British citizen.

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Fleurpepper Mon 08-May-23 15:16:02

Germanshepherdsmum

So this is what Pauline has to say, not fleurpepper?

There is a good reason why I have shared it- could it be because she is right and it was worth sharing. Comment on the post, not Pauline, or me. What do you think about the Government refusing to prevent foreign donations (not just from Russia, but Saudi, etc, etc) to political Parties?

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MaizieD Mon 08-May-23 15:21:44

Germanshepherdsmum

So this is what Pauline has to say, not fleurpepper?

I think you'll find it's what the article in the Independent says.

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MaizieD Mon 08-May-23 15:36:53

M0nica

No political party should be taking money from anyone who is not a British citizen.

According to Full Fact that already applies, with some exceptions

fullfact.org/law/most-non-uk-citizens-cant-donate-uk-political-parties/

But, there are loopholes

I've posted the Guardian article because it's free to read..

www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/may/03/government-defeats-move-to-tighten-uk-foreign-donations-law

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foxie48 Mon 08-May-23 17:25:28

I think it is a matter of huge concern. Why was Evgeny Alexandrovich Lebedev made a life peer by Johnson and why did Johnson, when he was Foreign Secretary, stop off in Italy to attend a party hosted by EAL without his officials? This was on his way home from a Nato meeting and where it is said he met EAL's father, who is ex KGB. Not only has the Tory party been accepting donations from Russians, they also have access to Tory MPs, some of them at the highest level of govt. What is going on??

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ronib Mon 08-May-23 18:01:18

Evgeny Lebedev has dual citizenship so I think it’s legal for him to have donated to the Conservative Party. I hope due diligence was done to avoid money laundering.
Interestingly anyone who has given money to their own children has to jump through hoops to say where the funds originated. Be good to think same laws applied across the social divide.

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Fleurpepper Mon 08-May-23 18:06:17

Not only that Foxie- he was barely compos mentis at the airport the next day and looked seriously hung over. We also know there were many 'ladies' to entertain the guests and lots of booze, probably drugs too. Left totally open to blackmail- they probably have plenty of footage of him 'behaving badly' to say the least. It is said that Katie Price had to be torn off him.

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Grantanow Mon 08-May-23 23:03:49

Political parties should receive public funding and no donations or 'loans' from anyone, UK or foreign. This idea was explored some years ago but nothing happened.

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foxie48 Thu 18-May-23 08:59:38

"Unmasked: The top Tory donor with ties to multimillion money laundering probe. Javad Marandi, who was awarded an OBE for business and philanthropy, denies any wrongdoing after losing a 19-month legal battle to remain anonymous
The businessman formed part of a secret “advisory board” operating at the heart of government, exposed last year by the Sunday Times. The group was made up of ultra-wealthy Conservative Party donors given access to ministers including then prime minister Boris Johnson." edited from the Independent Newspaper
Awarded an OBE in 2020 for his services to business and charitable work. My late FIL used to say if it looks and smells "fishy" it probably is a fish.

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