Quote:
Originally Posted by andrewb
I think donations should be capped at £50,000.
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'The Electoral Commission shows that in 2006 the Conservative party received nearly 50 individual donations each over £50,000 including 14 donors giving more than £250,000 each.'
Michael Ashcroft
The deepest of the deep pockets, Lord Ashcroft has given the Conservative party £6.5m. He was a good friend to former leader William Hague but less friendly with Michael Howard. David Cameron has since made him deputy chairman of the party.
Irvine Laidlaw
The 64-year-old is listed in the Sunday Times rich list as the second richest person in Scotland. He and his businesses have given more than £2.5m and loaned a further £2.5m. The Lord was criticised in April of this year for failing to become a UK resident despite being appointed to the House of Lords - an honour normally only afforded to UK residents.
Loenard Steinberg
Made a Tory life peer in 2004, his personal fortune has been estimated at around £108m. In 2006 he donated more than £500,000 to the Conservative party.
Lord Kalms
A fortnight ago this former Tory party treasurer said he was "disillusioned to a substantial degree" with David Cameron and said 'look chum, we need to do some rethinking.' Since he had 'not quite got the party behind him at the moment' and the that the Conservatives were having a 'very bad period'. Calling for a rethink on Europe, social cohesion and grammar schools. Over time he is thought to have given some £6.1m.
Stuart Wheeler
Thought to be one of the Conservative party's largest donors, having given in excess of £5m to the party over time, although he hasn't donated in the last two years. Though he thinks Cameron is the one leader who can win the Conservatives an election, he wants to see the party be tougher on the EU and to pledge tax cuts.
Midlands Industrial Council
Robert Edmiston - who personally lent the Tories £2m before the 2005 general election - and JCB boss Sir Anthony Bamford head up this organisation of businessmen that fund the Conservatives and they donated £400k in 2006. It is thought to have given even larger figures to a group called Constituency Campaigning Services, which supports Tories in key marginal seats.
International Motors Limited
Based in the Midlands this company donated over £2m in March 2006.
IPGL Ltd & RFG
These London-based companies both donated £1m both April 2006.
The Tory party's biggest donors | Politics | guardian.co.uk
Give, give, give, and ne'er a thought about what was in it for themselves.
True altruism.
