The latest MPs’ register of interests was published yesterday, the first since the
parliamentary standards commissioner said the Conservatives must
disclose who is financing their staff and research. Key findings as picked out by the Guardian are:
- George Osborne’s office was revealed to be receiving funds from property investor Sir John
Beckwith, and Lady Serena Rothschild. The register shows it is also receiving financial support from PriceWaterhouseCoopers, accountants Grant
Thornton, the European School of
Management, management company the Boston Consulting
Group; and investment managers Smith and Williamson.
- Michael Gove
declares fourteen donors including carpet millionaire Lord Harris (who also backed Osborne and Davis), a credit
check company and derivatives trading company both based in Knightsbridge, wealthy commercial lawyer Rommie Tager, and
Alan Bekhor – the man behind Standpoint magazine. He also declares thirty-four
companies and individuals – including the owners of Annabel’s nightclub
in Berkeley Square – as donors to his Surrey Heath constituency.
- Nick Herbert is being backed by Lord Bell and by Overgoal Ltd, an acquisitions company run
by Mark Scalon, which was involved in a row with the Unite union over
redundancy payments following the takeover of a Reader’s Digest
distribution company.
The piece wrongly implies that Chris Grayling’s
donations are newly revealed as a result of the register, but like Liam
Fox and others he had already declared them. The register also shows the extent to which Australian hedge fund billionaire Michael Hintze is a major funder of
frontbench offices, and that health technology businessman Julian Schild funds Osborne, Lansley, and Stephen O’Brien, as well as a working group into the NHS IT system.
Lord Ashcroft is continuing to offer the use of his jet to
frontbenchers and provided a helicopter flight for Cameron from Crewe to London
during last month’s byelection campaign.