Last week the question of the No campaign funders was shrouded in mystery, but no longer.
A little investigative journalism by the Herald's Tom Gordon and Paul Hutcheon has revealed some of the money is coming from the United and Cecil Club which had to forfeit an 'impermissible' donation last year. In other words it accepted £850 from a donor who was not on the UK electoral register and therefore could not make a legal donation.
The Tory dining club is run from Hickmans Lane, Lindfield, Haywards Heath, a town more than 350 miles from Scotland. It has about 400 members and according to the Electoral Commission, has donated £100,000 to the conservative party since 2008. To date none of the registered donations went to Scotland.
It's no surprise the No campaign funding will be coming from south of the border as the unionist parties' HQs are all controlled from London. Can Labour afford to contribute much when they have nearly £10 million in outstanding loans?
It was refreshing to hear Blair Jenkins, on yesterday's Sunday Politics (approx 30 minutes in), state that the Yes campaign will not accept donations of more than £500 from anyone who is not on the electoral role in Scotland. What are the chances of the No campaigners pledging such a principle?
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I have just watched (You tube) the discussion with Isobel Fraser and the Yes campaign CE Blair Jenkins - who came across as having a clear grasp on his role and the campaign's potential influence for all of Scotland before and after the 2014 Referendum. The Yes funding rules were made perfectly clear with the Scottish electorate self-funding priciple made clear with strict restrictions on funding from Scots outwith the UK. This was in contrast to the follow up with a less than sparkling contribution from Richard Baker MSP who had to be corrected by Ms Fraser on the role of Mr Jenkins as CE and who became a little flummoxed when asked for some clarity as to the No campaign's vision (policies) for Scotland now and in the future or were we to carry on in "muddled decline" (Ms Fraser's words)with the current status quo without any prospect of ambition from the No campaign. The politically still waters of Mr Baker offered her the tiresome 'stronger together' epithet - so that'll work.
The Yes Independence campaign appears to have, yet again, trumped the dissolute 'No' set up described by Margo Macdonald as the "Abominable 'No' men" with the appointment of the articulate Mr Jenkins.
The English are keener to have us stay, it would seem than we are to be here, if putting you money where your mouth is is an indication.
Tory dining cubs paying for a Labour fronted campaign, with the Tories taking a back seat and the Liberals apparently nowhere. How cosy for Labour and Tories, now they have become almost the same party.
Clarida: I wonder Richard baker ever agrees to go on the programme when Isabel is in the chair. She always makes mincemeat of him. Remember the time he managed to exaggerate the figure of £2.5 million a year into £500 million, as the cost of knife crime, and she systematically took him to pieces...
A master class in politician bubble bursting.
Ouch dining 'clubs'... not 'cubs'.
I am in a desperate rush!!!
Many thanks for this info.
- Aangirfan
Would Blair Jenkins have come out with his statement if the SNP had not been so fortunate to receive two substantial donations?
Methinks not.
Easy to claim the moral high ground when you already have assets in place.
But at least Blair Jenkins looks and acts professional. Perhaps he could give some advice to some of the SNP MSPs.
Really disappointed to see David Soul was at the bitter together fund raising lunch. I used to love Starsky and Hutch and am sad that he's made the decision to turn his back on all of his Scotch independence fans. Although to be fair I always forget if he was Starsky or Hutch.
'Don't give up on me baby' would be a good song for their re launch when that bloke Darling from Tracey Island is dumped and a big hitter from London takes over the show.
Someone with gravitas like Eric Pickles or John Prtescott maybe.
Clarinda, the No campaign will take money from any source that offers.
I too smiled at Margo's description.
It's a very strange grouping Tris the No campaign. Very strange,
Glad to be of help Aangirfan.
Maybe not Barbarian, but the unionists do have substantially more big funders. Perhaps they're not keen on funding the campaign though.
RM 'bitter together' - love it.
I think you're mixing your souls with your soles. :)
Gravitas indeed!
SR. I see the 'John O' Groats Journal' scooped the Herald story by 3 months. They were talking about the 'United and Cecil ' dinner club funding the bitter together campaign back in April. Cruddas heard to mention that they expect to lose but must go through the motions lol..
half way down the page...
http://www.johnogroat-journal.co.uk/Features/Chancellors-raid-is-hitting-hard-05042012.htm
Tris - are you sure that the English want to hang on to you that much? Methinks no-one has asked them yet!
Here's one that would cheerfully wave goodbye over the border, and wish you all the luck in the world; but would close the gate behind you.
You make the usual mistake of confusing 'English' with 'British' - the British may be desperate to hang on to you , but the English? I doubt it, I doubt it very much, and polls in England support that view.
Many thanks for that link RM. I hope you don't mind but I'm promoting your #bittertogether as a hashtag on Twitter.
Most of my English friends say OK, but there are a few, who owing to their financial knowledge, are hesitant about it Michele.
Others say England (mainly the SE) has been rebuilt by oil discovered in the North Sea but these days are over and they couldn't care less.
No probs SR. Not been a twitterer yet myself. Looks fun lol
I don't twit much RM, too time consuming, but it can be a good medium for breaking news.
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