正文
卡梅伦宴请富豪 每人收5万英镑入场费
A billionaire playboy and a Russian oil tycoon were among dozens of mega-rich Tory donors who dined with David Cameron and his party pals this summer, explosive new documents reveal.
A list published by the Conservatives today named more than 40 donors who paid at least £50,000 to attend “Dinners with Dave”between July and September.
They included Alexander Temerko, the energy tycoon wanted in Russia on fraud charges, and billionaire art dealer James Stunt, whose wife Petra is the daughter of Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone.
The group has given the Tory Party a monster £17.4million since 2010.
Labour’s Shadow Cabinet Office Minister Jon Ashworth fumed: “David Cameron leads a party with an ever-greater reliance on big money from a small number of mega-rich donors. Ministers’ dinner dates with donors are boosting Tory coffers.”
The revelation comes as political parties prepare to publish the latest batch of donations on Thursday. It is expected to show that Tory finances were swelled further by cash from some of the richest men in Britain.
But the party offers special privileges to anyone who pledges at least £50,000 a year. It buys access to the elite “Leader’s Group” of donors, who are invited to dinners with the Prime Minister or other top Tories.
This summer’s dinners were attended by the most senior Tory ministers. The Tories were tonight battling claims that the dinners are used by rich backers to try to influence party policy.
Since coming to power, the Coalition has slashed the top rate of tax for society’s richest, while cutting corporation tax repeatedly.
Mr Ashworth raged: “The Tories are wining and dining the very millionaires given a tax cut by this Tory-led Government.”
The list names 41 men who dined with senior Tory ministers in the summer after they or their firms coughed up the £50,000 required. No women were on the list.
Among the diners was Mr Stunt, 32, who made billions of pounds from gaming, shipping and mining.
Russian oligarch Mr Temerko appears on the list twice, suggesting he may have attended more than one dinner over the summer.
He has personally donated £265,230 to the Tories since 2010, while his wind farm firm Offshore Group Newcastle has given £220,425.
Other big names on the list are Lord Ashcroft, the billionaire Tory peer who has bankrolled previous election campaigns, and Sir John Hall, the ex-chairman of Newcastle United Football Club.
The Tories, by far the wealthiest party, trouser most of their cash from super-rich donors. Labour receives a large portion of its money from trade unions, with some from private donations.
- 上一篇
- 下一篇