ConservativeHome sums up the David Rowland story thus:

The Daily Mail Sinks the Tory Treasurer

By Tim Montgomerie

First CCHQ announces that David Rowland will be the new Tory Treasurer.

THEN…

• The Daily Mail attacks his tax status: Former tax exile David Rowland is the new Tory treasurer
• The Daily Mail highlights his role in an environmental disaster: The dirty past of the former tax exile who’s the new Tory Treasurer
• The Daily Mail attacks his style of capitalism: The shady City past and friendship with Air Miles Andy of new Tory treasurer
• The Daily Mail attacks his private life: The new Tory Treasurer with a blonde in another snap he’d rather you (and party grandees) didn’t see

Fundraisers tend to have a bit more chutzpah than your average party hack (think sleazy Lord Levy), but Rowland (pictured here with a blonde not his wife) had trouble written all over him.  The cleaning up of politics means parties will have to raise funds from their memberships, appeal to members, listen to the grassroots, represent their interests. It is just lazy to raise funds from a few plutocrats…

UPDATE : Just a thought: can you imagine the Daily Mirror going after a bent Labour backer with as much venom as the Mail went after Rowland? Can you imagine LabourList or LeftFootForward joining in the pursuit? The Mail has done the Tories a favour in the long term.

See also : Rowland Gave Tories a Million to “Set the People Free”