Osborne's case is not remotely equivalent . The donations were registered its just a question of the destination requiring a re-registering and the wrong advice was given all of which is on record. The Guardian admits as much today. Not ideal admittedly but patently innocent on Osbornes behalf

I have no doubt that there are irregularites that will emerge from the Tory ranks , its a big organisation and the rules are arcane to the point Norman Baker of sleazebuster fame fell foul of them recently .David Cameron has not claimed perfection only best intentions and this shows exactly why he was wise to do so.

Bob. Who filled up David Cameron's Constituency bank account in his pursuit of the leadership?

The MIC?

Who funded Willie Hagues trip to Europe to scout for friends in the loonatic women hating right wing?

The MIC?

Did someone within the known knowns on the known list within the MIC get caught out bunging for a Peerage?

Is the MIC an anti European nuthouse funded by the super rich who use backdoor secondary (illegal) companies to fund the Tory Party?

Gary

You're desperate Bob, truly desperate. The more desperate your postings become (and God, they've been plumbing the depths lately) the more chipper we tories feel. You lot are on your way out and are desperately gripping the door frame with your finger nails as the electorate yanks you out of office.

Perhaps Chris Paul would have been a better choice for Newsnight last night than the Labour blogger Paul Burgin who suggested that Hain should resign?

newmania posts yet again. Do you secretly fancy Bob Piper? You sad, self-loathing little Tory. Why don't you go ask your mommy why she never gave you enough cuddles instead of posting here continually? You might sleep better at night once you've had a good cry.

Did I duplicate .....oops

Forgive my ignorance, Paul Dacre Fanclub, but I thought that newmania is a Labour Party bigwig in Islington somewhere South of Watford...

So on this issue we're no better and no worse than the Tories Bob? Not much comfort in this mess of pottage for anyone

Newmania is right that the Osborne and Hain cases are not equivalent. Though it is an interesting question as to why Osborne (and the other shadow cabinet members) waited 11 months before trying to clarify the position with the authorities in December.

There is however equivalence between Hain and many millions of donations made to the Tories through "front" organisations e.g.

Hain donations are made through PPF a company

Ashcroft makes his donations through a company (and he does refer to "my" donations)

Laidlaw makes his donations through a company, which then says to the Sunday Telegraph that it is making donations on behalf of Laidlaw.

??? make their donations from the Midland Industrial Council (and unincorporated association). In fact the Tories have received over 5 million pounds through unincorporated associations.

Some make donations to the Tories through fronts because they cannot make donations directly since they are not on the UK Register and some do it to maintain anonymity.

The interesting thing is that when Hain eventually registers the donations made by PPF - he registers them in the name of the original donor (presumably on legal advice) - perhaps Newmania might wish to comment on why the same treatment shouldn't be followed for Tory donations through "front" organisations. Now wouldn't that be interesting - all those anonymous donors being made public and all those donations from overseas residents becoming impermissible and having to be passed over to the Treasury.

It pains me to agree with the likes of Freddie, Bob, but Hain has no one to blame but himself for this mess. He overspent on a campaign for a job that isn't worth a lukewarm bucket of spit, and then seemingly used underhand methods to get rid of the debt, using a dormant thinktank where the donors didn't have to identify themselves. It stinks to high heaven. He should resign. It's that simple.

The Midlands trust has been passed with a clean bill of health despite enormous scrutiny , we can only play to the rules . I don't know the details but the Conservative Party would be happy with an individual limit of 50,000 pounds and an end to donations other than by individuals The Labour Party would not .It is the Union connection which delays progress What about all those individual donations and more to the point what about the reciprocal public money handed to the unions in the form of "Modernisation" grants . Why not give the Midlands Trust 10 million pounds I am sure they will also be happy to give it back ?

I don't see the problem with Ashcroft he could hardly be a more committed Conservative , what Mittal might want for his 4 mill. is a little less clear as are the Private Equity Donations now magically drying up after the tax break was cancelled . Sainsbury gives more than Ashcroft , his name is not constantly emerded we accept he is a sincere and happens to be rich.

You have to understand that Conservatives have no problem with a lot of small donations .People with a little they want to hang on to are Conservative, small business is Conservative. That why the Conservative Party has nothing to fear or hide on this issue. (Relatively speaking) Perhaps it is systemically unjust that this should be the case but it is. I have elsewhere made the case for union donations on the just this structural basis. It was , at least , a strong case once .

There is , and I don't know exactly why , something of a history of financial irregularity on the left. Northern Rock is not an isolated example of socialists getting their hands on money and behaving in a way normal business would go pale at the thought of .(and they were an organisation with long Labour party links) ,Margaret Hodge did a brilliant deal that lost all Islington's money . I think of it as akin to the Indians getting in amongst the whiskey ?Most Conservatives earn money in a direct way perhaps they understand its value better. … I have to say peter Hain's actions fit perfectly into this model .It's the arrogant disregard for the details that is symptomatic and he is not alone of cours... Annoying to hear no doubt but there it is .

Finally after Blackpool the Labour Party ceased to be a mass movement . The Conservative party never was in the same way. It was at that time that Blair began to cheat , its an ongoing problem but not a symmetrical one .

The problem with Ashcroft is that it is not clear that he is on the UK Electoral Register. Similarly with Laidlaw.

As for the Union modernisation grants - they cannot have been donated back to the Labour Party. Unions are required by law to keep separate funds for political purposes(which are subject to audit and are also monitored by the Trade Union Certification officer)and can only be funded by political levies paid by individual trade unionists (and yes individuals can opt out if they wish) and the levy payers have to regularly vote on whether they wish to affiliate to the Labour Party - and this is largely a system which was the result of Tory legislation

Newmania ought to get a basic understanding of trade union funding before he starts to criticise it.

And when was the Midlands Industrial Council given a clean bill of health? and by whom? We still don't know who funds it? Imagine what Newmania would be saying if he did't know where HAin's funding came from.

As for a history of financial irregularity on the left - Newmania is obviously suffering from selective memory.

septicisle... I wouldn't disagree with a word of what you say... in fact... I haven't either. Some people appear to think I have advanced a defence of Peter Hain here... I can't imagine why.

I couldn't be arsed to read newmania's latest rambling drivel, but skipping to the final paragraph does anyone have a clue what he is talking about? Surely not the 'Matthews final' in '53?

I'm not surprised the Conservatives are nervously checking through their receipts to make sure they haven't tripped up somewhere as well.

I don't hear any interest in investigating George Osborne, it just seems to me that he is going back over what he has done to make sure he didn't make any mistakes first time round. Maybe Mr Hain could learn from his example?

http://lettersfromatory.wordpress.com

Unions are required by law to keep separate funds

Have you any understanding of how money works ? A seperate fund,.....oh come on ,it does all have to be spent you know .
If there is no pressure on Union members to join ( which of course there is )and then contribute then they will be entitled to contribute with equal enthusiasm like everyone else on their own behalf.
If , as you suggest , there is no advantage to the Labour Party then the individual donations will flood in without the assistance of the Unions .
This will not happen as we both know .

You are wrong about the Midlands Industrial Coucil it does have a register of members , like a Union. The electoral commission have exmained the issue on various occassions and cannot find anynthing irregular about it .
The only answer is to stop all donations except small to medium sized individual ones which the Conservative Party have repeatedly suggested . The Labour Party wish to keeo their advantage of linking contribution to working in the public sector through Unions and this skews the system.

It is notable if you around Europe that other centre left parties are not dominated by the needs of Unions and that is really where the labour Party should be . In order to do so it would have to appeall to small contributors individually which would be a very healthy dose of reality.

It has to come and many in the Labour Party wish it would come sooner rather than later

Keep it coming newmania. The more people who see how disturbed, illiterate and just plain stupid you are the better.

You are not by any chance the illegitimate son of Michael Oakeshott, are you?

80 Tories being reported for donations received through front organisations. We should always remember that even Labour politicians do something wrong that the Tories will have done the same thing first and on a larger scale.

So where are the Electoral Commission reports on their findings on the Midland Industrial Council - or anything in the public domain on their review. Or is Newmaia just making it up as he goes along - just like on Trade Union funding.