Another Day in the Republic
You know corruption is one thing, but when the BBC spends most of its evening bulletin trying to present the argument that it was all just an “administrative error” when it is patently obvious to anyone with greater intelligence than a mollusc that it is yet another case of gross corruption (Cash for honours etc.) one gets rather fed-up with it all. There may be some who will argue that this is an isolated incident but the only isolation I can see is that the compliant media seem to be slowly walking away from covering-up this government’s ten-year long history of corruption.
Durham Green Developments Limited had a planning application for a business park development alongside the A1 motorway blocked by the Department of Transport.
Raymond Ruddick and Janet Kidd are directors of the company. Details of their directorships here [PDF]. They donated some £400,000 to the Labour party, secretly on behalf of David Abrahams, the owner of Durham Green Developments Limited.
In October last year the objection to the massive development was dropped by the Department of Transport.
Updates :
Hardly a secret donor : Mr Abrahams and the Labour Party.
Guido comments on Newsnight interview.
The story is now that they will give the money back, but I think that should include rescinding the favours that the donor(s) have received in kind - if not charges.
More Updates :
Greg Palast - Brown’s Fixer Explains How It’s Done : Jon Mendelsohn and the Secret Tape
If only this country did produce some bananas - at least we’d have something to sell when bailiffs come round
an unfortunate state of affairs
In today’s Guardian, teo big donors were profiled. The other one is Mendelsohn (I am not sure how the name is spelled), and Mendelsohn is quite an astonishing donor also.
I think when a party stays too long in power, it inevitably becomes corrupt. One of the virtues of the ballot box is to remind politicians that their power has an end. Then comes the other party with its own trail of corruption that will emerge at some point. Brown hasn’t departed from his predecessor.
The other factor, and you mentioned it, is the media. The media is definitely corrupting the democratic process. They are at the center of this decadence; politicians need money to get access to them and in turn they cover up for politicians. Democracy is in its last convulsions. To revive it, one has to change the whole comunication system between the government and the voters and to clear Politics from big money. We need strict financing laws.
The picture is gorgeous.
What an amazing, set of coincidences, Wolfie. Poor old Labour - so misunderstood by us.
I think the explanation that it’s a factor of time in office that breeds corruption is compelling generally but not applicable in this case Sophia. From the earliest days of office New Labour was embroiled in corruption scandal such as the Ecclestone “cash for favours” row, the money was donated in 1997 in order to directly influence advertising legislation in a stunning similarity to now. I have no problem with wealthy people supporting parties whom they value but when its for direct business gain its simply corrupt, be it legislation, property deals or peerages they are after. Labour tightened the law following the last fiasco then broke those rules with impunity. This particular government didn’t go bad, it was born that way.
I can’t help but feel that someone big in the media is starting to go sour on New Labour, probably didn’t get the favour(s) they paid for.
I so love bananas, they are humorous, colourful, tasty and healthy. I do however have a low threshold for corruption.
They need to go. They need to go very soon.
Yup. the trouble brews for a long while on this one. if Brown loses harman then the party will be unable to get out of this hole.
Shame they will feel the need to lead us into the desert for two years though.
The clamour from Westminster for state funding will be impossible to resist too
I wish I had waited a couple of months before upgrading my phone now.
The litany of gross incompetence at all levels needs an explanation. We perhaps differ only in that explanation.