In a 4-dimensional-chess move no one saw coming, the People’s Vote campaign have written to the Electoral Commission asking that they be investigated over apparent dodgy donations.
A statement released to the press reads:
“The People’s Vote is asking the Electoral Commission to look into possible non-disclosure of donations under the organisation’s previous executive management.
The new interim management team, in place since beginning of November, has been conducting a fundamental review of the organisation’s systems, policies and processes.
In the course of this review we became extremely concerned donations may not have been declared to the Electoral Commission. We immediately made the Commission aware of this.”
Guido understands we are looking at six-figure donations undisclosed. The new People’s Vote regime under new campaign director Stuart Hand is upbeat, saying some 30 staff are toiling in Millbank Tower, that they have had £700,000 in donations since the election was called, at least a £100,000 of which has been funnelled to preferred candidates. That’s a lot of LibDem leaflets…
Former campaign director Patrick Heneghan is still “on a leave of absence” pending investigation of his alleged drunken cocaine and chill offers to young female staffers. As you do…
Where all this leaves former People’s Vote campaign chiefs James McGrory and Tom Baldwin is anyone’s guess. The Electoral Commission report will be interesting…
PR Masterclass from @RolandRudd pic.twitter.com/9TQWrlZpZl
— Euro Guido (@EuroGuido) November 22, 2019
Roland Rudd’s disastrous handling of the whole People’s Vote saga does remind Guido of the spin-doctor paradox; why do they have such low reputations and invariably bad personal public images? Rudd has now tasked headhunters to find a new CEO for his People’s Vote campaign after the last one, Patrick Heneghan, was ousted amid allegations of him being a sex pest made by young female campaigners who said he had a penchant for drunkenly inviting them back to his place for cocaine. This is the brief from the headhunters Attenti looking for a replacement:
PV Campaign Ltd (People’s Vote) is the holding name of the organisation that aims to unify the main pro-European organisations into a single legal entity and become the designated pro-European referendum campaign if such a referendum is called. The People’s Vote board currently comprises : Anne Weyman, Geeta Sidhu-Robb, Richard Reed and Roland Rudd.
If the Conservatives fail to win a majority in the General Election, there will probably be a referendum. In that scenario, we must hit the ground running. We are therefore delighted to open the selection process to recruit a high calibre Chief Executive.
The Chief Executive will report to the Board and be responsible for building and leading a diverse, dynamic new organisation.
If the Tories win a majority, it is all over for Rudd’s campaign anyway…
Roland Rudd invited People’s Vote staffers to a meeting with him in the Hilton next door to the Millbank Tower campaign HQ. Two heavies with a clipboard were guarding the corridor to the meeting room. The heavies refused entry to campaign veteran James McGrory, and despite trying to blag his way in Tom Baldwin got the “your name’s not on the list, you can’t come in” treatment. Shocking scenes…
UPDATE: According to reports, after a lively meeting with Roland Rudd this morning People’s Vote staffers voted to no confidence him and their new chief executive, Patrick Heneghan. A source in the room claims only 3 staff members (including Heneghan) supported the new Rudd regime.
Guido hears that Roland Rudd and Patrick Heneghan are currently boycotting their own People’s Vote meeting – called for 9 a.m. this morning – because Baldwin and McGrory are present and he refuses to address them.
The People’s Vote campaign staff are currently waiting for him to stop having a tantrum and address the meeting he called. Who could have anticipated the People’s Vote were capable of such incompetence…
UPDATE: Looks like the staff are turning against Rudd…
.@RolandRudd told both the @FT and Radio 4 that he’s constantly in and out of the People’s Vote office and knows staff well. I’m in the office every day and I’ve never met him.
— Charlie Atkins (@kinsCharlie) October 28, 2019
UPDATE II: Rudd in classic coup behaviour, now broadcasting propaganda from a TV station – Sky…
UPDATE III: Tom Baldwin launches into a succession of snide comments against Rudd, claiming there was a “boardroom coup”… but denying there is any chaos.
Ahead of the appointment of Jennie Formby as the Labour Party’s general-secretary, some long-standing HQ staff are jumping before they are pushed out. Exitism from the party by long-standing moderate activists is also on the rise as the once entryist crypto-commies and toytown trots are welcomed into the party by Corbyn…
John Stolliday, Director of Governance and Legal is off, as the ‘compliance unit’ boss he will be quitting before he inevitably gets pushed out. The PLP secretary Dan Simpson is also quitting. Along with the outgoing general secretary Iain McNicol; Patrick Heneghan,Tracey Allen, Julie Lawrence, Neil Fleming and Emilie Oldknow are going.
Most will be gone after the May local elections. If Chuka is going to launch his centre party he’ll have some experienced operators available to hire…
UPDATE: Simon Jackson, Labour’s Director of Policy And Research, has quit today.
Ken’s Campaign Manager Patrick Heneghan was overheard in HQ late last week lamenting “Ken’s own goals” that will be “difficult to come back from”. Heneghan was only brought in after his predecessor Hilary Perrin declared that Ken“cannot win” last October. He is said to have privately come to the same conclusion.
Sources report that despite a shrinking band of loyalists littering Tube stations this morning, the pressure in Red Ken’s camp is clearly getting to his staff. A member of the London Regional Team whispers that “Patrick was pushing for London MPs to do media this weekend to defend Ken on his tax problem but no one was willing to do it.” Walls have ears…
The “own goals” are hurting – tonight’s Standard reports:
“…polling – which took place over three days last week – also shows a dramatic slide in Mr Livingstone’s support after his argument with his Tory rival over tax in a radio station lift. Londoners interviewed before “liftgate” last Tuesday morning were split 50/50 between the two candidates. But those surveyed afterwards divided 60/40 in favour of Mr Johnson. Almost half of those polled, 48%, also said they are “less likely” to trust Mr Livingstone following claims he avoided tax by using a company for payment…”
No wonder morale is said to be “very low”.
Guido also understands that pleas have been made to Labour leader Ed Miliband to energetically intervene, however he’s already gone into damage limitation mode and is starting to try and put distance between himself and the prospect of defeat in London. It has fallen on deaf ears and there’s a running joke in Ken’s camp that there is a pro-Boris Labour HQ faction who want to hurt Ed…
