Monday, October 02, 2006
A question of money
As the Conservative Conference gets underway in Bournemouth the 'loans for peerages' investigation parks itself firmly on the Tory Party's doorstep. The BBC report that four major donors to the Conservative Party have now been questioned by police as part of this on-going enquiry.
They include a businessman whose nomination for a peerage last autumn was blocked by the body which vets appointments to the House of Lords. Robert Edmiston, head of IM group, was questioned by police in July. The Tories say three other donors - Lord Laidlaw, Lord Ashcroft and Swede Johan Eliasch - were also interviewed. Mr Edmiston lent the Conservatives £2m before last year's general election but has since converted the loan into a donation.
Meanwhile, at least one Tory grandee appears to have been a little careless with his choice of extra-Parliamentary jobs. The Mirror tells us today that Francis Maudes is the £15,000-a-year non-executive chairman of Jubilee Investment Trust plc, which has bought into the sordid business of US porn star Jill Kelly. Jill Kelly Productions Holding Inc sells hundreds of DVDs with titles such as Big Breasted Beauties and Fistful of Musketeers.
Should come in handy if he wishes to address the faithful on family values this week.
They include a businessman whose nomination for a peerage last autumn was blocked by the body which vets appointments to the House of Lords. Robert Edmiston, head of IM group, was questioned by police in July. The Tories say three other donors - Lord Laidlaw, Lord Ashcroft and Swede Johan Eliasch - were also interviewed. Mr Edmiston lent the Conservatives £2m before last year's general election but has since converted the loan into a donation.
Meanwhile, at least one Tory grandee appears to have been a little careless with his choice of extra-Parliamentary jobs. The Mirror tells us today that Francis Maudes is the £15,000-a-year non-executive chairman of Jubilee Investment Trust plc, which has bought into the sordid business of US porn star Jill Kelly. Jill Kelly Productions Holding Inc sells hundreds of DVDs with titles such as Big Breasted Beauties and Fistful of Musketeers.
Should come in handy if he wishes to address the faithful on family values this week.
