2006 March 30 - Guy Fawkes' blog

Thursday, March 30, 2006

Newsnight’s Crick is Still After Cameron

Even after last week’s aggressive doorstepping of Cameron, Michael Crick is still chasing after him about cash for Conservatives. Scotland Yard is publicly confirming that the investigation will, if necessary, be multi-party, after telling the Standard yesterday it was Labour only.

Guido hears that Cameron is genuinely keen to get the names out and move on. Just like Tony Blair…

Will Galloway Get the Fake Sheik Nicked?

George Galloway has turned the tables on the News of the Screws’ investigative reporter Mazher Mahmood, otherwise known as the “fake sheikh”.

Mazher attempted to entrap Gorgeous in “a blatant and outrageous attempt to suborn a member of parliament,” said Mr Galloway. Now, because they offered him money, they could be done for attempting to corrupt a member of parliament. How ironic.

Genuine or Scam?

Guido has just received this email:

Dear Sir;

I am Abacha Blair, nephew of the Head of State and Commander In Chief of the Armed Forces of the United Kingdom.

We have come into £14,000,000 (Fourteen Million Pounds) which has been lent to us by noble supporters of the regime, which we must transfer to an account in your country before it is found by agents of the security services (The Electoral Commission, Parliamentary Standards Committee and Scotland Yard).

These moneys must only be used for the doing of good works which is why we have contacted you as an upstanding member of the community. As a trusted individual, please send us your bank account details and we will TRANSFER IMMEDIATELY the sum of £14 Million UK Dollars into your account. It is very important that you only spend these moneys on community benefit projects although as a consideration we will pay you a HANDLING FEE of 20% (TWENTY PER CENT) and nominate you for a PEERAGE in the HOUSE OF LORDS in the British Parliament.

Please send your BANK ACCOUNT DETAILS today as it is urgent that you help us in the doing of these good works.

Thank you many times for your kind assistance which God will thank you for

Yours sincerely

Abacha Blair

What is Chairman Maude Up To?

He has, a Guido co-conspirator says, cancelled all appointments this afternoon. Knocking off early for the weekend? Something more urgent perhaps?

Ain’t the boys and girls at CCHQ overjoyed with their new job contracts? (They almost all had to re-apply for their jobs.)

The Abramoff Precedent Must Be Worrying Sleazy Levy

Jack Abramoff, the Republican lobbyist at the centre of a Washington corruption scandal, was sentenced to five years and 10 months in prison yesterday.

Just goes to show that no matter how close to the powerful you are, no matter how well connected you are, the criminal justice system can’t be spun as easily as newspaper headlines.

How long before we see Levy do the “perp walk”?

Cameron Decides to Come Clean

The Tories have begrudgingly decided to ask their donors to come out of the shadows. It was completely ridiculous and unsustainable for it to be any other way. Why the procastination, what was Cameron’s problem?

It was all before his time and he can credibly distance himself from the old ways. It was also bad politics because it allowed others to suggest that the bogeymen were funding the Tories, it was bad in principle because sunshine is always the best antidote to corruption in the shadows. Voters rightly don’t like the idea of voting for politicians funded by anonymous mystery men. Of course if it turns out the Tories were funded by Saddam Hussein or Chinese drug barons…

EPP Escape Committee Update

Guido’s co-conspirator in Brussels emails to remind that the Gravy Train for faction funding by the European Parliament has arrived today. March 31st is the deadline for applications for faction funding and it looks like the Gravy Train will be leaving without the new faction on board.

In Westminster the word is that the Tories are waiting for Czech President Vaclav Klaus’ ODS party to win the Czech general election in June. Hague wants to be able to point to the alliance with a governing party to counter any New Labour spin onslaught that the Tories are aligned with a bunch of oddballs who quaintly believe in national sovereignty, free markets and free trade.

The patience of the Tory right is fraying as they were promised a speedy exit. Like the war, they now hope the federalist nightmare will be over by Christmas.

Cameron knows that he has to deliver on this and he intends to deliver on it even if it costs the defection of a few MEPs.