Tory cash for access row: David Cameron, his crony pal and cash for no questions

RSS Feed

Tory cash for access row: David Cameron, his crony pal and cash for no questions

April 2nd, 2012

FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda

By
Andrew Pierce

PUBLISHED:

16:35 EST, 1 April 2012

|

UPDATED:

03:33 EST, 2 April 2012

Tory Party chairman Lord Feldman was one of the key figures in the ‘cash for access’ scandal which erupted after Tory party treasurer Peter Cruddas was caught offering a private dinner with David Cameron to undercover reporters who posed as wealthy party donors.

A buddy of David Cameron since they were at Oxford University together, it was Feldman who vetted Cruddas for the job — as well as approving the controversial appointment as treasurer of David Rowland. The former tax exile property tycoon, who had previously been branded ‘a shady financier’ in Parliament, was forced to quit the job after disclosures about his high living and aggressive business tactics.

Lord Andrew Feldman received £11,850 worth of expenses by the end of last October, when the most recent official figures were published

Little known outside of Westminster, Feldman’s appointment as Tory chairman was widely criticised by backbench MPs. Lacking political experience, his CV included helping Cameron organise a college ball at Oxford and a subsequent career as a management consultant and latterly as a commercial barrister at one of the country’s top legal chambers.

Cocking a snook at his critics, Cameron made yoga-loving Feldman a peer of the realm — hence his nickname, the Crony Chairman.

So how seriously does Lord Feldman of Elstree take his duties in the upper chamber? The answer, it seems, is not very.

I’ve looked at his parliamentary record. He has attended the chamber on 48 days in the 15 months since his appointment and has spoken there once. He has yet to table a written question or ask any verbal ones. He has taken part in only 50 per cent of the votes.

Even so, the multi-millionaire does claim his £300 daily Lords expenses to which he’s entitled — even though Parliament is only a five-minute walk from Tory HQ. He had received £11,850 worth of expenses by the end of last October, when the most recent official figures were published.

So much for Feldman’s public service ethos.

Count Ken out: Cartoon by Gary for the Daily Mail

Count Ken out!

A typically rumbustious response from the beer-swilling Justice Secretary Ken Clarke when asked about the ‘cash- for-access’ dinners scandal.

‘Well, I don’t think anybody can afford to buy dinner for me. So I don’t think I am personally involved.’ Having bought him lunch more than once, I can testify he has a point!

Cameron’s gold standards

There was outrage from the then opposition Tory benches when Stephen Byers was caught with three other Labour ministers in an undercover sting by Channel Four, boasting that they had changed government policy and secured preferential access to ministers for private companies.

Leading the charge with allegations of ‘sleaze’ was Opposition leader David Cameron who demanded an ‘independent’ inquiry. He said the matter ‘goes to the heart of the integrity of the Government’.

Now he’s PM, Cameron has backtracked on such firm principles. Following the ‘cash-for-access’ row involving Tory treasurer Peter Cruddas, Cameron has asked a Tory, Lord Gold, to conduct an inquiry.

Disgraced Labour MP Eric Joyce, who was convicted of a drunken brawl in a House of Commons bar, Tweeted about last week’s rare sighting of the Moon and Venus very close together in the night sky.

Dreamily he said: ‘The Moon and Venus. Out of your window or close-by. Too beautiful and amazing for a picture.’ I hope Eric’s not still drinking!

The cerebral Tory backbencher John Redwood has jumped to the defence of Chancellor George ‘Pasty Tax’ Osborne, who was ridiculed for saying he couldn’t remember the last time he’d eaten a Greggs pasty.

Redwood said he’s concerned about traditional ‘motherhood and apple pie’ values, but that ‘I will never be a mother and have not bought a shop apple pie for months’.

After all their huff and puff about the Government’s decision to cut the top rate of tax from 50p to 45p, you would have assumed that Labour MPs would have thronged the Commons to vote against the move.

Not a bit of it. Even though Ed Balls, the shadow chancellor, said Labour ‘will vote against the 50p change’, every Labour MP abstained in the vote apart from two, veterans Dennis Skinner and Paul Flynn, who voted against.

Here’s what other readers have said. Why not add your thoughts,
or debate this issue live on our message boards.

The comments below have not been moderated.

Newest
Oldest
Best rated
Worst rated

With PR, you will simply get more of the same or similar to the Lib/Con stitch up, having absolutely no idea which policies will finally be adopted once any agreement is reached. In practice, it simply hands total control, over to a tiny political elite who then run the country like their personal fiefdom. Ring any bells ? What is required, is a mechanisn by which the electorate can force issues on to the parliamentary agenda for debate and then we can see how any individual MP votes. Better still, prior to the vote, there could be local consultation via the web. There is widespread disquiet over our democratic system but it’s not in the MP’s interest to address it.

– Andy, Sussex, 02/4/2012 13:27

Well we stupidly rejected AV which would have made MPs more accountable and stuck with the old voting system. And the DM was one that opposed reform. So now you get the result.
As they say “If you always do what you always did, you’ll always get what you always got”.

– Richard, Cheltenham, 02/4/2012 10:15

I’m a little confused. If Andrew Feldman had been to the Lords 48 times and is able to claim a £300 daily allowance each time he goes there, then he could have claimed £14,400 rather than the £11,850 that you quote. The allowance is presumably for more than just travel… it is also to compensate the individual for the time they are taking out of their normal lives to contribute in the Lords. Is it possible that his public service ethos is therefore somewhat better than you give him credit for ? Also, it would be interesting to know the voting and attendance records of other Peers. Is his record good or bad in comparison with others ? It seems that the author has a personal bone to pick with Feldman and doesn’t seem to want to let the facts get in the way of a petty, mud slinging exercise.

– Mallet, London, 02/4/2012 09:50

With Proportional Representation (PR) we can get over a lot of this party funding argument.

– martin, kent, 02/4/2012 08:44

Money buys power but how much power are we willing to sell? We can see how politics and money from friends of Israel works, with the mutation of American foreign policy and the knock on effect with everyone associated, including UN, EU, etc. We have to recognise there are serpants in the cupboard an not go down the American root.

– martin, kent, 02/4/2012 08:41

Surrounding himself with Eton and Oxford mates isn’t so much about elitism as Cameron’s lack of imagination and real confidence. If as a PM you can’t look past your nose and realise that there are plenty of wiser, more talented, and experienced chaps out there than those you happen to know from a College ball or pillow fight, then the country is getting a raw deal.

– Sal, London, 01/4/2012 23:42

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.