23-10-2008, 10:56 PM
David Guyatt Wrote:What always strikes me about the evergreen scandals surrounding illegal "donations", "loans" and "contributions" to political parties of all persuasions is how cheap they are. For a measly £50k you can allegedly buy the Tory Party.
For non Brits the scandal here is that it is illegal for a UK political party to accept money from a non British citizen, thus even discussing such a payment from Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, was courting disaster.
Shades of Tony Blair taking £1 million from FI's Bernie Ecclestone to allow tobacco advertising on TV of FI races, and Mandy's (Mandelson's)loan from former party Treasurer who's banking and financial business in Belize was tainted by allegations of drug money laundering, or the earlier Tory party decision to take money from a Hong Kong Chinese businessman reputed to be a drug lord are just some of the sleaze we Brits have faced in recent years.
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http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/pol...68625.html
Osborne, the oligarch and a yacht in Corfu
The shadow Chancellor made political mischief over Lord Mandelson's links with a Russian billionaire – but it backfired with spectacular effect, reports
Andrew Grice
Wednesday, 22 October 2008
CORFUGATE: THE PLAYERS
For Mr Osborne, who has a reputation at Westminster for loving to exchange good gossip...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/...orne-corfu
Candida Jones, “How George Osborne ruined my day at the beach in Corfu,” The Guardian, G2, Thursday, 23 October 2008, p.2
Quote:It was mid-afternoon on August 14 and we were on Kalamaki beach - a glorious bay on the north-east coast of Corfu where the intensely blue sea was so still it resembled oil rather than water. Barely a wave lapped the shore as I relaxed with my husband, brother and children. There were families throwing balls, people chatting in warm, shallow water and children with snorkels dragging small fishing nets. The scene was idyllic. The focus for most of those playing in the sea was a long, rickety, wooden pier. Children were jumping from it, dangling their feet in the water and playing tag. My three-year-old daughter was learning how to dive off the end when a motor boat appeared.
I was alarmed by the speed at which it approached. Parents stopped and watched, and I began to collect our little ones around me as I could sense danger. The boat kept coming and I began to worry. Surely no one would drive a boat through crowded water and, anyway, where was it going? Couldn't those on board see that there was nowhere to moor as the pier was packed with children playing? Several parents, in several languages, complained loudly that this was an inappropriate place to bring a motorboat. It carried on without any apology from those on board and the bathers made way - the diving games stopped and children were hurriedly helped down from the pier and sent to the beach to play.
A very smartly dressed family disembarked and marched towards the shore. Leading the way was a man in blue shorts and white polo shirt, wearing deck shoes, which he clearly didn't intend to get wet, followed by a couple of children, also dressed smartly and not for the beach, a woman, whom we assumed was their mother and was carrying a picnic basket, and a nanny, who brought up the rear and was carrying the bulk of the bags. I could tell immediately these people were English, by the way they were dressed and their seemingly superior manner. I felt embarrassed that a typically informal, relaxed and inclusive Greek afternoon was being so rudely interrupted by one small, well-turned-out, organised, English family.
I recognised George Osborne as he led the way. Shouts continued from the parents, which made the Osborne family hurry, but none of them looked back or exuded the air of bashful apology one would expect. Osborne, hearing the protests, simply said, addressing everyone, "It's a pier, that's what it's for." He said it loudly, angrily, without looking at any of those whose afternoon he had spoiled.
Of course he was right. It was a pier, and that is what they are for, but that day it was full of families having fun and the boat brought the fun to an end. But what galled people most - lots of us discussed it afterwards - was the way it had happened. No backwards glance, no apology, no hint of embarrassment. It wasn't very Greek at all; indeed it was extremely English in that old imperial way. The Osbornes had to be somewhere, quickly. Perhaps Oleg Deripaska was waiting to talk about money?
One for George to ponder over his favourite tipple, vodka and coke...