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Rob Wilson won the Reading East seat for the Conservatives in 2005
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Lord Ashcroft gave cash to Reading East 2005 campaign

March 18, 2010

Reading East was one of the 19 key swing seats which were targeted with funding from controversial Tory non-dom Lord Ashcroft.

The cash was given in two donations in 2005 from Lord Ashcroft’s company Bearwood Corporate Services.

The donation to fight the Reading East seat for the Tories totalled £9.932.93.

Following the gift former Conservative Reading borough councillor Rob Wilson won the seat with a 6.9 per cent swing.

Reading East had been held by Labour MP Jane Griffiths in 2001 who was later deselected by her party and replaced by Labour councillor Tony Page.

Lord Ashcroft has been at the centre of a media pre-election storm because his non-domiciliary status means he can avoid paying tax in the UK.

His business is based offshore in Belize.

Lord Ashcroft’s company is reported to have made donations ranging from £5,000 to £27,230.08 to 18 other swing seats in the 2005 General Election.

Reading East MP Rob Wilson said: “This is a matter for the Reading East Conservative Association.

“They would know about these financial matters.”

Alison Swaddle, the new chairman of Reading East Conservative Association, said: “In 2004 Reading East Conservatives received £9,932.93 in donations from Bearwood Corporate Services Ltd.

“These donations were fully allowed under UK election law.

“All the accounts for Reading East Conservatives are filed online with the Electoral Commission and we are committed to full transparency.”

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Mischievous..... I'm afraid that is the problem ,the doners do get benefits. Although the donations are transparant,the benefits are not necessarily so. Take the Station hill development for example. We all know that the area needs to be sorted out, but is it necessary to build skyscrapers up to 30 stories tall that will dominate Reading. Should firms move in from areas around the town , there is quite a fair likelyhood that other buildings will remain empty. Also with sation Hill there is the question of buses and the fact that there will not be a bus station of any sort,and all the bus stops are going to be pushed out in all directions to wherever there may be a space simply to allow the developmant to have its pedestrian plazza. I suggest that the best thing to have done would be to produce a plan that had the best possible bus interchange and then the private development of a more sensible scale would have to fit into what was left. In other words public facilities first and private development second. The Tories are hardly alone on the subject of donations and favours...the cash for honours saga was not that long ago after all. Most people ( though obviously not all ) who donate money to major political parties do so in expectation of getting something in return. After all why is it that the big money is no longer following the Labour party? Obviously its because nobody expects them to win next time!

Howard Thomas Common Sense party
20/03/2010 at 09:46

So there were legal donations made, and they were a small % of total spend. If you look online at the Electoral Commission web site you will be able to see full details are disclosed, within the accounts section and Permissible Donors.

What you won't find are the accounts for the Labour Party in Reading, they have not filed any accounts since 2005, what are they hiding.

Paul

Paul Swaddle, Reading
18/03/2010 at 16:56

If you knew your history, then you would know that the unions were the founders of the modern Labour Party. Unfortunately, Labour today is more willing to help big corporations....they've forgotten they're roots! Who else, but a union is going to look after the rights, terms and conditions of the average worker, certainly not the company's HR Department!

C H, The tree in my garden, Tilehurst
18/03/2010 at 13:08

What is wrong with people like John Madejski and Lord Ashcroft funding Reading East? If it is done in an open and transparent way is there a problem? After all transparency ensures that the doors of corruption remain firmly closed. You would think that the donors get some kind of benefit from it the way people talk.

Mischievous, Reading
18/03/2010 at 10:35

At least Lord Ashcroft chose to give the money, unlike the 54% of Unite union members who oppose having chunks of their subs diverted to Labour party donations.

Roger, Finchampstead
18/03/2010 at 10:07

Non-story... slow news day?

How about the bankrolling on the local Labour party by the unions... every single donation declared on the electoral commission website is from unions...

Labour are in the unions pockets.

Alex M, Reading
18/03/2010 at 09:55

Left wing media group in further Lord Ashcroft attempted smear shock.

If I was that rich, I'd also try and avoid paying punitive tax rates where the money gets wasted.