Labour’s Expensive Manifesto Club
PR Week have once again managed to get a scoop that members of various Tory donor clubs get access to senior figures for update briefings. 
The “leaked email” seen by PR Week states:
“Throughout the year we organize small dinners with David in private homes, lunches with George Osborne at CCHQ, invite Leader’s Group members to lunches with David following PMQs, and both groups to a number of private presentations in CCHQ with the Heads of Strategy, Communications, Campaigning and Research.”
The Tories have clearly been taking lessons from the government on how this is done. The “Labour Finance and Industry Group” is a grouping for players expected to give serious cash to the Labour Party. They proudly boast the high powered access provided for a cheeky donation here and there. Guido has obtained an LFIG email to business donors:- “As part of an on-going series of meetings, the LFIG Manifesto Group was invited to Number 10 on September 11th 2009 to discuss a number of issues … The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the next Labour Party general election manifesto.”
Guido understands that Nick Butler, the Economic Adviser brought into Downing Street from BP with Gordon, handles the delicate relationship with these donors. He helped to developed the close links between BP and New Labour* in the 1990s which led to the firm being nicknamed Blair Petroleum. Butler is die-hard Labour loyalist who has been treasurer of the Fabian Society for more than 25 years. According to the Guardian, “Since the 1980s, Butler has maintained and extended his political and commercial connections like a model member of the ‘successor generation’. He is close to Mandelson”
High powered stuff, Guido’s favourite bit has to be the specific instructions given last month to the donors who are members of the “Manifesto Group”:
“Following the presentation and discussion there will be further discussion on policy proposals submitted to me prior to the meeting. The deadline for submissions for inclusion on the agenda is November 15th. Policy ideas from the LFIG Manifesto Group are always welcomed by Number 10. We need to produce practical proposals in the form of short bullet points.”
Nick Butler is not the only one of Gordon’s closest advisers who handles relations with LFIG, members get discreet access to Patrick Diamond, the PM’s Senior Policy Adviser. How much does this access cost? A quick check of the Electoral Commission’s records gives you some idea of the levels of money we are talking here. Labour needs big money for the election and donors want to know what they are getting for their money. To take just one example, Guido wasn’t too surprised to spot Lady Sternberg pictured at one of LFIG’s events. Her husband has donated £427,633 to Labour…
*Nick Butler’s role in the release of Al Megrahi is discussed here.
Cash For Steerage
Cash for clowns
Cash? Why? Just live in a target constituency and you end up on the mailing list for every meet the leader/chairman/hoon (delete as appropriate) event.
corrupt bastards every one of them
Fuckers would sell their old Mums by the pound (kilo in Eurospeak) if there was money to be made from the deal. Corrupt c’nts!
2 legs good, 4 legs bad
Have I got a leaflet for you!.
Funny you should say that Tankboy – I heard – not in detail – on AlJabeeba this very morning that immigrants are entering the UK to take circus degrees and then applying to stay on….to become “politicians” of all stripes no doubt! Really, REALLY can’t make all this poop up.
AlJabeeba finally forced to discuss climategate – of sorts….Yayyy. Only a week and a half late!
And they tried to do a nice hatchet job on Toady on that Dr Foster report last week… oh no we can’t have people publishing data on our filthy dangerous NHS hospitals and let them get away with it — even when it’s the truth.
Both my elderly parents have recently come out of hospital sicker than they went in (one was given a urinary tract infection due to a doctor’s clumsiness inserting a catheter and the other needed a week’s sleep due to late night ward reorganizations).
Humphrys of Toady is sailing close to the wind. Yesterday he took the Dame of Fey Boy etc by surprise by referring to him as a Grand Pooh-Baa (I think that’s how to spell it, tho possibly Mandelson heard something different). Today he got close to implying John Major’s progenitor, whose expertise was in circus skills, was not worthy of receiving a university education. Might Humphrys be suffering from an overweening sense of entitlement to his personal prejudices? And what is the BBC’s diversity department (for indeed it has one) doing about that?
cash for greedy corrupt piggy MPs
There’s always one rotten apple in the barrel to spoil the rest.
In this situation, I think the problem might be finding one that isn’t rotten.
Perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad if they spent a small percentage of their donations on keeping a decent tailor. Have you ever seen such a rag bag of people unable to dress themselves? They give the appearance of an underperforming double glazing sales team.
So the Al Megrahi release was really all about BP and Labour party donations?
How is Mr Megrahi by the way?
I’m just fine. It’s a lot warmer here than Barlinnie. I’ve applied for a job with BP. Don’t need the money, just something to do…
We’re not sure this is such a good idea…
Remember this?
Or how about this?
Sorry Guido, but it is a sign of the times, you being 24 hours behind the main headline.Ah well, I’m sure you can blue tongue yourself more ‘Roonie points somehow.
Chin chin!
and no mention of Lord Levy
Cash and (definitely) carry
So lets get this right- the labour party is using govt property and facilities and time to raise money for the labour party ??
And possibly peddling govt privilege as well
The Labour party is using vast amounts of public money to buy in support from its artifically created client state. Until a few years ago any decent Cabinet secretary would have sent this Circus packing from Downing street and given the PM a right bollocking. Unfortunately the senior levels of the civil service are virtually indistinguishable from labour party dodos. Shame on them all. Its got so bad i’m considering making an album of lute music
Any businessman prepared to make a substantial donation to Labour now must be seriously deluded.
Or the pm
Or PFI service provider
Do not forget to count all CRAPITA employees as part of the ‘CLIENT STATE’ statistics
But you surely know Engineer, that bottom line it’s not really about Labour; Tory or LibDem – it’s about an agenda and a ‘mindset’ which transends all parties/countries/religions/governments etc etc. All this posturing is to give the impression that it’s a “fight” between parties….
What is really wrong is that they have missed the point about politics. In the end it does not matter how much money they have, it is not money that votes.
OK, I will be the first to admit, that a well funded campaign will tip the balance, but when the balance is welded down it makes no difference.
If Cameron wants to tinker and play with the UK for 5 years he has to promise something we want, in return for that privilege.
He is giving nothing we want anymore. He is a fake “greeny” so neither side takes him seriously and can only foresee taxes. He has admitted that the EU is now unstoppable, so why vote, it makes no difference. He wants to do the right thing against the corruption, but anything real that would alter the balance is brushed under the carpet. So essentially what has he offered in this deal with the people so far. Nothing. He is the light weight on the balance.
Should he wait for the last minute. NO. Because human nature means that people will start feeling a grudge against them again, for their past wrongs. He needs a jump now that will overbalance the handout/addict culture that is bribing the voters at present.
In the end, we know those that aspire to Number 10 are troughers and power crazy, but to get the power they have to give something we want.
(Unless of course the voting system is really compromised and the low turn out, high postal votes, and delays in counting are indications of the method)
Welcome to Marlboro’ Country
Or minting it in the carbon-paper economy.
They are definitely collaborators – get them all up against a wall.
Haha! Guido does it again.
His shovel is a wonder,his digging legendary. It must be the Irish in him.
you don’t know how hard he toiled to copy and paste from PR Week and the Gruaniad
legendary investigative reporting
So what?
Kudos to PR week and the Guardian
kudos to gaydo
tieing up strings is beyond most.
just hang the hoons
You must be fucking mental if you want to let them off with just a hanging. Get a backbone and go for a slow,agonising,messy death,with lots of screaming and pleas for mercy.
only if theres free popcorn
The taliban were onto a winner with public executions at half time in the footy match. Liverpool v Man United,and ritual disembowelment of Hazel Blears during the interval,sponsored by Salford Reds.
Let’s be democratic here – how about including Six Nations half time? Good relaxing Saturday afternoon entertainment for all the family – as some of those footy matches are after the watershed so the kids would miss out.
The traditional British method of hung, drawn & quartered has a lot to recommend it.
I know a quicker way, messy, but quicker…
It does say “bullet points”
Nah, mate.
Prolonged sleep deprivation is the way to go (induced by piped Stock Aitken & Waterman).
That’s how Chairman Mao dealt with Liu Chao Qi. He went off his rocker in the end and started cleaning his teeth with soap.
Thats one up on Mao who with the exception of the his dip in the sea never took a bath in his life
Only good if it’s broadcast on Prime Time BBC1, BBC2, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, BBC News, Sky News. In other words, people are reminded wherever they watch of the filth that stole from us taxpayers money, freedom and democracy.
What a nasty lot we are. MPs deserve to be treated no worse than anyone else who has stolen from their employers or the public – no better, either, although I would like to see them all put on a remote island with some basic supplies and made to fend for themselves.
This week, there appears to be a massive campaign by liebour to start the election wheel rolling from Brown’s better than dire performance on Wed at PMQs, to the MSM pushing the anti-ClimateGate agenda and the anti-Tory rhetoric everywhere, from spontaneous polls and possible keeping any data that shows an upswing of the economy hidden until closer to the election.
Labour are going for a record fourth term.
The record being it will take another 4 terms of Tories before we can return to where we were in 1997.
Dirty tricks being used against Scottish bloggers.
http://tinyurl.com/y9mr7jd
Being way down south,even i’ve noticed this thinning out of dissident voices. Something is happening,and i don’t know what it is.
Where’s Mr Ishmael?
How much shit are we in?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1233088/40-000-A-FAMILY-The-astonishing-taxpayers-cash-used-fund-850billion-bailout.html
Read the Telegraph, then it’s only five and a half grand.
scoop
http://www.prweek.com/uk/news/971392/Tory-donors-offered-meetings-comms-chiefs-Steve-Hilton-Andy-Coulson/
Politicians have always been for sale. Plus they have their futures to think of.
Have cash? Will legislate.
scoop
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2004/nov/06/usa.politics1
Great link/article Digging – thanks.
Interesting names coming up in there….puts me in mind of other people (whose names will get me modded again) who seem to show up as ‘chairmen’ of banks etc; directors of ex-gov/PPP companies; foreign office jobs; BBC board members and on to “gov” advisers – not necessarily all of the above and in that order. Methinks those behind the scenes have been lax of late in keeping the curtains properly closed. I hope that this is intentional and that there are people within who ‘know’ what’s really going on…and like me, don’t like it one bit.
Exactly. And that is why Brown gave away The City Of London for zilch – I mean – a tidy job for himself after the election. That’s why he’s been kissing Sarkozy’s smelly little arse.
Sarko has run rings around McTwat without even leaving the Elysée Palace. Quite why Tapestry thinks that Sarko is going to give the idiot Brown a ‘tidy job after the election’ defies reason. Why would Sarko want McTwat anywhere other than the political midden that awaits the unelected, failed one-eyed son of the manse?
Sarko may have a smelly arse, but at least he is the ELECTED President of France.
Mais non. Gordon est soo sexy. J’adore le un-eye Jocko.
Mc Mental will have his reward for Lisbon, come what may. That is how they operate, success or failure only relates to the greater project. A very well rewarded EU sinecure awaits, for all who do as they are told.
and sarko has a brain
did you know that the french minister of finance can count
Good piece guido , whiffs of geoffry Robinson wonder if pheonix 4 have ever been ??
£60bn of uk property assetts now in default , true figure for bank bailout could top £850bn and ruin trys class war !!! , still could be worse could be US president and annouce 30000 troop surge , as conveint cover for dire unemployment figures !!!
CW thought QT was a rich cake blend to enjoy with afternoon tea ,but enjoyed TW , so far agreed with pollster ideas on rebuttals especially his view on perceptions vs the past 3 years spin , but noted he did not favour hanging the liars out on the gibbert , which CW thinks is much better incentivasation method than bounuses , also didnt seem keen on cashing those LTLs (labour told lies ) these are similar in to IOUs , exept that they are nails and superglue that stop criminals absconding before trial ,where as IOUs are just paper . Up pops arronvovitch , to leave a nice hard turd for the lib dems and the tories , CW thinks funny how come he sees the new join USA in arms is not like the old ones based on the right , oh no this is the left now running the world , the New Wonk Order that arronovitch has often dreamed about , based on debt, poverty , supression and never questioning your rulers actions .
prescott was almost at his quick witted best , but still refusing to see how the debt will make people better off , “ban the bounuses” , CW thought funny only 3 years ago it was “bung a banker”
I want to vomit
What are the business interests of the ‘Manifesto Club’ Members? – I want to Boycott their products.
Leave us aht of it.
Their primary product is morally bankrupt supine political bags of wind. It is also possible that they may engage in other useless activity
would anybody like another portion of Gordon?
Not ‘arf.
Oh I feel a lot of FOI requests coming on
Perhaps Gus can explain why the office at No 10 is being sued for party political purposes as opposed to what we taxpayers fund it for and how many of these functions were held on Government property
Perhaps he could but far more likely he won’t.
To Misquote Sir Humphrey “Gus may be Cabinet secretary but he probably cant even type” let alone chastise the Prime Minister for this gross abuse.
Have you seen Jack Straw’s latest waffle?
“Female prisoners are very different to male prisoners, and while there is a consensus that we need to be tougher on male offenders there is also a broad consensus that where possible we should punish and reform females in the community and not in prisons.”
ie. Men go to prison, Women do community service.
Equality, Harriet Harman style.
That prick Straw can fuck off. Inside is where all the best action is. Finger lickin’ good.
So the likes of Tracy Connolly is free to ‘get on with her life’ ‘get another man’ and assault and batter any future kids she spawns? No thanks! Compulsory sterilization for her.
When released, she will probably be given the “right” to adopt.
Labour hates men.
That’s why there are no real men in the Cabinet.
It’s amazing that there are still seemingly intelligent people, intelligent enough to amass lots of dosh, who are daft enough to bung McTwat & Co anything at all on the basis that the proponents of nuliebour are never, repeat never, going to be in a position to deliver on any legislation that would benefit their seemingly intelligent donors in any meaningful way. Good money after bad. They could give some to me. I have a use for it…
There are still six months worth of sell offs, government contracts, Quagoships, honours list nominations and peer appointments to go yet.
McRuin would not want his last few months in office to go, without greasing his future prospective rewards for favours given.
Dear Citizens of UK. Please do not accept policy of the UK Communist machine. You’re being conned. This is v. important for your future. Stand up for your rights.
I don’t do politics anymore,I do gags
A guy goes to the pub, and says to his friend, “You won’t believe what happened! I was taking a shortcut along the railway track, and I found a girl tied to the rails. I untied her, and we had sex over and over again. All the positions; everything!”
His friend replies, “That’s great! Did you get a blowjob?”
“No, I couldn’t find her head.”
Good Morning
I remember when I first heard that. They were t’days.
It’s the Tories fault. They started it. They’re all posh and, um, rich. Bastards
Eddie babes, get home now and roger me til I fart.
Green Politics is officially a religion.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/fcd5ec18-e044-11de-8494-00144feab49a.html
A member of the United Nations panel on climate change said of its findings: “There can no longer be dissent.” The next step will be to make opposition to the green religion an offence under hate crime laws.
A crime indeed, more heinous than Holocaust denial. Dishonesty and violence are yesterday’s crimes, Thought and Hate Crimes are the crimes of today……..
Had some junk mail through my letterbox last week from local police, our esteemed Chief Constable stated the ‘speeding’ is a crime?? When the F*ck was that made a criminal offence?? Summary offence yes, but never criminal……. the world has gone mad under this Great Socialist Government !!
One of these days we’re going to cut you into little pieces.
Careful with that axe!
Hey you still here Sid?
We have the finest Government and Opposition that money can buy.
Cant Buy Me Love, But a Government will do just fine!!
Didn’t the FT point out that manufacturing declined at a faster rate under Labour?
Still it would be interesting to find out who the deluded are, and which firms are thinking that Bruin could win.
Yup sure did…
Industry ‘has declined more under Labour than Thatcher’
By Sam Fleming
Last updated at 8:36 AM on 04th December 2009
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1232897/Manufacturing-decline-Labour-greater-Margaret-Thatcher.html#ixzz0YiLwefGE
I notice the politicised ONS has been up to its tricks again this morning. Apparently the UK tax-payer has provided 850bn quid to bail out the banks. That’s pretty impressive bearing in mind the yanks entire TARP programme to bail out all its banks and financial insitutions was a mere 700bn US dollars.
When you read the detail of this 850bn it turns out that the bulk of this is in the form of guarantees for loans. Ie no money has changed hands at all. It is like when I insure my house in case it burns down. I give them (say) 1,000 quid and, in the event it burns down then they build me a new house. But on average my house doesn’t burn down and they make money. The BBC themselves reported that the final losses were expected to be of the order of 20 – 50bn. Not great – but not 850bn quid.
That 850bn quid is being advertised widely on the BBC for one reason only.
Because it is marginally more than the actual total debt Brown has run up in his 12 years of imbecility (ongoing).
We are being set up for a campaign along the lines of ‘You have to take our idiocy of spending 800bn quid we don’t have compared with the 850bn quid of support we provided for the banks.’ See how it’s going to work. Disingenuous use of language to suggest that the actual money Brown has squandered be compared with the unlikely maximum total loss of the UK banks.
Banks bad. Government good. Rich bad. Labour good. Toffs bad. Labour good.
850bn quid.
My arse.
Evil, disingenuous bastards.
Couldn’t agree more.
The banks have certainly managed to get themselves in a world of shit while Brown’s Treasury was looking the other way (for more than a decade).
But the way this story is being spun by Labour is a disgraceful conflation of unrelated issues:
a) Brown’s reckless spending has bankrupted the UK and this is why we are almost a trillion pounds in debt
b) Recapitalising the banks has cost very little by comparison and is likely to generate a substantial profit (provided McDoom’s hate-based legislation does not destroy the banks’ themselves in the meantime)
Check out Sky News now.
Oh… ignore me. Brown, Kinners (Mrs) and Millers (Ed) being questioned by the yoof on climate change. Totally irrelevant! I’m off with flu and haven’t had my second coffee yet. When I first switched on thought someone said ‘debt’.
Mind you, green taxes may help tackle the debt, eh.
Couldn’t agree more,
For sure the banks have got themselves into a world of shit while Brown was looking the other way (for a whole decade).
But Labour’s attempt to conflate two issues is pathetic:
a) Brown has spent like a lunatic for twelve years, taking an economic boom for granted and waiting for a ship that was destined never to come in. That is why we are a trillion quid in debt.
b) Recapitalising the banks has cost relatively little by comparison and (provided McFuckwit’s hate-based legislation does not destroy profitability) these banks are now set to generate a huge return for the tax-payer.
Class War and Lies: They’re in Our DNA
LVIG? More like CoOB Cult of Orren Boyle.
This is very small beer indeed. The Tories are much, much worse.
I love you Gordon.
Tiger Woods ‘offered wife $5m after transgressions’
How did that song go? ” Can’t buy me looove”
Tried to offer my wife an overdraft but………….
What is the point of elections?
What is democracy?
How much cash will it take so that I can join this unelected, corrupt band of gangsters then?
More lamp posts needed me thinks………….
If you lot dont shut up and reform your corrupt Government I will order a great surge to sweep over your pox ridden country and. linger about for 18 months.
I feel the Tory party have no connection with any part of society other than the traditional, political, financial and arts establishment
As the owner of a small engineering company in the West Midlands I guess I would be a natural Tory voter, certainly not Labour, but to me, the Tories appear to be a group of posh blokes, Billy Bunters, Junior Mrs Buckets, Captain Bagshots, wierd blokes in size 12 Church shoes.
I really do not like the thought of another term of Labour, but the Tories are too vague about what they stand for.
We really need someone in charge who has has lost a few teeth fighting
Hi there Alistair. How are things at Nude Labours Think Tank?
These comments are not written by Labour stooges, do you really think Cameron and Boy George have any understanding of the economy outside of the City?
The City may provide the fuel and the diagnostics, but the real graft and genuine wealth creation is done elswhere by adding value to raw materials.
China then.
These comments are not written by Labour stooges
Of course they are not. And as for Chutney Barrel, exactly how posh are:
Ed Balls and Hariet Harman who both went to public schools?
Sorry still got all me teeth otherwise I’M Yer Man
You are all saboteurs!
I hate you mostest for wumbling the climate change scam. Many of my left wing fwends have mortgages to pay, cars to run, second homes in France, airmiles to rack up on AGW conferences worldwide, nappies to change, post career lecture tours to line up…..and most of all I am very cwoss at that meany Guido for being beastly howwid to my bruv David Silly Bland, Hilary “White Stick” Clinton’s toy boy.
Vote Labour and get the EU, mass immigration, high taxation and a bloated public sector.
Vote Conservative and get the EU, mass immigration, high taxation and a bloated public sector.
Vote LibDem and get the EU, mass immigration, high taxation and a bloated public sector.
You can see why people fell they have to bung the Labour party a few Bob there just a chance it might make a difference!!
I went to a fancy dress party dressed as an oyster. There were some beautiful girls on the dance floor.
Only went and pulled a muscle
…and woke up in the morning to find I had crabs
Thinking logically they could raise funds by going for the Booker prize. Their last manifesto was the finest work of fiction I have ever seen
Whats that one that only allows women ? I hear Harriets writing the next one, bound to be a triumph of crap over substance
The rehabilitation of Baroness Scotland continues with the news that she is on BBC Radio 4′s Desert Island Discs next week.
Suitable songs for her island?
Working on a Chain Gang?
Liar!
When My Left Eye Jumps
The only bigger retard than one who thows money away on the liebour re-election campaign is the retard that votes for them.
Ok, people. Baroness Scotland will be on Radio 4′s Desert Island Disks next week.
What are her tracks going to be?
@@@@@@@@ Guido: perhaps you might want to use this question a completion for your readers? Would make a refreshing change from the caption competition.
Well I’ll certainly get in a premature contribution then:
Money Money Money
I Can’t Explain
The Immigrant Song
I Am The Walrus
Your Lyin eyes
I Fought The Law
Saving My Face
I Will Survive
So the Conservatives are (only marginally less?) corrupt than Labour – a very good reason for not voting for either of them.
Based on the crap environment for business that the Government has created, it doesn’t seem that the “Labour Finance and Industry Group” has been giving the Government any sound advice on business friendly policies.
Or (perhaps more likely) they have been giving the Government advice but it has been ignored as Labour just trousers their money.
We can expect a very small LFIG indeed in 2010…..
“members get discreet access”
Well the spelling’s improved but I’m still not sure what’s discreet about a photo op outside Downing St. Still, not a bad attempt at spinning a Tory sleaze story into a Labour one.
To the author:
Please stab yourself in both eyes.
Why don;t they take this opportunity to demand that Brown falls on his own sword for the less he has got us into? Besides the fact he would miss, that is…
Brown totally unprepared for financial crisis and Mandelson wanted EU FO role
That would be mess, rather than less.
tat goes on about wanting to execute class traitors(his rantings yesterday), perhaps he should start with those in power and not those in opposition??
Shame it’ not less mess