Tuesday, July 04, 2023
Scrutinising the Prime Minister
The Guardian reports that
Rishi Sunak is facing transparency questions over private jet travel and thousands of pounds in Conservative party donations after they were recorded as coming from a small company linked to a multimillionaire businessman.
They say that questions have been raised as to whether any rules have been broken over declarations of more than £88,000 over the past eight months for air travel by the prime minister, and direct funding to the Tory party:
Sunak had declared that air travel worth £38,500 – used for him and eight staff to attend Conservative events in Scotland and Wales in April – was funded by Balderton Medical Consultants, a one-man business whose address on the donations register was given as a west London property near Margaret Thatcher’s former home.
Land Registry records show that the property in Belgravia is owned by a firm based in the British Virgin Islands and Jersey. This firm’s beneficial owner is Akhilesh Shailendra Tripathi, a British-Indian medical tech entrepreneur who made a fortune from an anti-snoring device and who previously donated £114,625 to the Tories in 2021 and 2022.
When the Guardian visited the property, a person who answered the door said it was not the address of Balderton Medical or of its sole director. Asked if the property on Chester Square was the house of Akhil Tripathi, the person said: “Yes.”
A spokesperson for Tripathi’s company, Signifier Medical Technologies, said: “We don’t have any comments or information to offer regarding this situation.”
Sunak’s office and the Conservative party were approached for comment. A spokesperson for the party said: “This donation in kind was processed by the Conservative party, and the information then provided to the prime minister’s office. CCHQ [Conservative Campaign Headquarters] will now review the information provided. If necessary, any administrative errors will be corrected.”
They added: “UK-registered companies which are incorporated in the UK and carry out business in the UK are allowed to donate to political parties and candidates under electoral rules.”
Personally, I am uncomfortable with donations of these sort. They may be within the rules, but I wonder why they have been made in the first place.
They say that questions have been raised as to whether any rules have been broken over declarations of more than £88,000 over the past eight months for air travel by the prime minister, and direct funding to the Tory party:
Sunak had declared that air travel worth £38,500 – used for him and eight staff to attend Conservative events in Scotland and Wales in April – was funded by Balderton Medical Consultants, a one-man business whose address on the donations register was given as a west London property near Margaret Thatcher’s former home.
Land Registry records show that the property in Belgravia is owned by a firm based in the British Virgin Islands and Jersey. This firm’s beneficial owner is Akhilesh Shailendra Tripathi, a British-Indian medical tech entrepreneur who made a fortune from an anti-snoring device and who previously donated £114,625 to the Tories in 2021 and 2022.
When the Guardian visited the property, a person who answered the door said it was not the address of Balderton Medical or of its sole director. Asked if the property on Chester Square was the house of Akhil Tripathi, the person said: “Yes.”
A spokesperson for Tripathi’s company, Signifier Medical Technologies, said: “We don’t have any comments or information to offer regarding this situation.”
Sunak’s office and the Conservative party were approached for comment. A spokesperson for the party said: “This donation in kind was processed by the Conservative party, and the information then provided to the prime minister’s office. CCHQ [Conservative Campaign Headquarters] will now review the information provided. If necessary, any administrative errors will be corrected.”
They added: “UK-registered companies which are incorporated in the UK and carry out business in the UK are allowed to donate to political parties and candidates under electoral rules.”
Personally, I am uncomfortable with donations of these sort. They may be within the rules, but I wonder why they have been made in the first place.
