Any one want to donate to Labour?

Much has been said about Tony Lit's supposed donation to Labour. he is of course the Conservative party candidate for Ealing Southall.

For a start there is much spin on both sides, or at least that how it looks. Obviously there are some major differences of fact that could if the Lit's current apparent story is born out could lead to criminal charges.

Firstly as Dizzy points out here, it could well be just a business transaction. As in Sunrise radio was there just to network.

It was billed as a "Diversity in Business" event which gives further cover.

However two things concern and amuse me. Firstly there is this I lifted from the Observer:

He added the Lits had been told the fund-raising event was organised by Labour MP Keith Vaz, and that the money would be going to his charity, Starline, which helps disadvantaged children.

If true then the fact that the funds went to the Labour party (I know the cheque is made out to the Labour party) then this is a criminal offence under the acts which govern charities and possibly under the 1968 theft act as well. It goes without saying that his word against someone else's is unlikely to cut it in a criminal court unless their is other corroboration.

The second thing is that Labour seem to be sending a clear message that donating money to them is making yourself a hostage to fortune.

It amuses me greatly but does not concern me. It seems that if you want to donate money to Labour you can be arrested by the police, get to meet a rapist at a fund raiser or, if it is politically expedient for them to do so, have your donation thrown back in your face by Labour in all the papers.

I bet the Labour fund raisers are having a fit right now and some are considering their positions.

In fact a major fund raiser, Mike Smithson on his political betting blog answered my question here:

Mike as a fund raiser, do you think Labour using the family firms donation against him will cause fund raising problems for Labour.

With this comment:

To your question I do believe that the Oyston and Lit affairs won’t have helped.

On the latter you simply do not go around exploiting someone’s or some firm’s generosity for political purposes. Good faith must exist and that will have been lost. I can see quite a lot of business interests being less keen to support these glossy £1000 a seat events because it could be used against them.

If I had been in charge of Labour’s fundraising I would have been considering my position this weekend. You have to respect donors.

To me Labour’s fundraising looks very amateurish.

Well there you have it from a fund raiser.