22-10-2008, 06:50 PM
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.
**
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
When Peter Mandelson made his shock return to the Cabinet this month, George Osborne could not believe it. Only six weeks earlier, the shadow Chancellor had enjoyed a frank and convivial conversation with Lord Mandelson over dinner at a taverna in Corfu, after their paths crossed during their summer breaks.
The political rivals were unusually candid. Mr Osborne, it seems, spoke about the resistance among Tory activists to the modernising medicine David Cameron was forcing them to swallow. In turn, Lord Mandelson is said to have admitted that Gordon Brown was vulnerable to the charge of presiding over a "culture of debt".
For Mr Osborne, who has a reputation at Westminster for loving to exchange good gossip, his holiday chat was too good to keep to himself. Two days after Mr Brown made Lord Mandelson his Business Secretary, a front-page story appeared in The Sunday Times under the headline: "Mandelson damned PM to top Tory." It claimed that Lord Mandelson "dripped pure poison" about Mr Brown.
Although Mr Osborne was not named as the source, he said on television on the day the story appeared: "Let me just say it's very surprising to hear him say he's joined at the hip with Gordon Brown. And if the problem with this Government is it's divided and dysfunctional, bringing Peter Mandelson in is going to make it more dysfunctional and more divided."
Yesterday, it appeared that Mr Osborne's decision to pass on his chat with Lord Mandelson had backfired on him spectacularly. He was alleged to have solicited money during his visit to Corfu from Oleg Deripaska, Russia's richest man, who is a friend of Lord Mandelson. Since becoming Business Secretary, a series of newspaper articles has appeared about his links to the billionaire businessman, whose companies benefited from a relaxation of EU tariffs on aluminium while Lord Mandelson was its Trade Commissioner. Lord Mandelson and Commission officials have insisted that there was no conflict of interest, and no impropriety has been proved.
There have been hints from Labour sources that the Tories were "playing with fire" because something else happened in Corfu this summer that could be extremely damaging to them. Ben Wegg–Prosser, Lord Mandelson's former aide who now lives in Moscow, wrote prophetically on his "Wegg-Blog" last week: "Thanks to George Osborne's blabbermouth Peter's vacation has now dominated two weeks' worth of Sunday newspapers. Anyway, that's another story in itself, and one which George will come to regret I suspect."
Yesterday it became clear what he was referring to. In a letter to The Times, Nat Rothschild, a hedge-fund manager and member of the banking dynasty, expressed concern that the paper and its Sunday stablemate has focused on the friendship between Lord Mandelson and Mr Deripaska in reports about "a private gathering of my friends".
Mr Rothschild, one of Mr Osborne's oldest friends since they were contemporaries at Oxford University, alleged that Mr Osborne, who was staying at the Rothschild family villa in Corfu, invited the Tories' chief fundraiser Andrew Feldman to join him on Mr Deripaska's £80m yacht Queen K "to solicit a donation" to the Tories.
His letter went on: "Since Mr Deripaska is not a British citizen, it was suggested by Mr Feldman in a subsequent conversation at which Mr Deripaska was not present, that the donation was 'channelled' through one of Mr Deripaska's British companies." The law states that donors to UK parties must be on the electoral register and UK companies cannot be used as a front for foreign donations.
Why did such a glittering cast list of characters from the worlds of politics and business gather in Corfu in August? Lord Mandelson went to the island to attend a dinner party marking the 40th birthday of Elisabeth Murdoch at the Rothschild family villa on the island. The 40 people present included her father Rupert Murdoch, whose media empire includes the two Times titles, Mr Osborne, Mr Deripaska, Lord Mandelson and Mr Rothschild.
The fateful dinner at the taverna in which Lord Mandelson and Mr Osborne swapped stories about British politics took place on the day after the Murdoch party. Again, Mr Rothschild was present. On the following day, Mr Osborne told Mr Rothschild that Mr Feldman was holidaying 12 miles away. Mr Rothschild invited Mr Feldman to join them for an early evening drink on the terrace's villa.
According to the Conservatives, it was Mr Rothschild who raised the prospect of Mr Deripaska giving money to the party – not Mr Osborne or Mr Feldman. They then joined the Russian tycoon on his yacht. The Tories are adamant there was no discussion of any donation either then or when Mr Osborne had a five-minute discussion with Mr Deripaska at the Rothschild villa the following day.
On 18 September, Mr Rothschild told Mr Feldman that Leyland Daf, a British van manufacturer owned by the Russian businessman, was interested in giving money to the Tories. After consulting senior party officials, Mr Feldman decided that while a donation would not be illegal, it would not be appropriate.
The long-standing friendship between Mr Rothschild and Mr Osborne makes the dispute over their rival version of events even more remarkable. His mother, Lady Serena Rothschild, gave £190,000 to help fund the shadow Chancellor's office in 2007, channelled through Conservative HQ.
Why, then, did Mr Rothschild turn against the man who was a fellow member of the hell-raising Bullingdon Club while they were at Oxford? According to friends, the hedge-fund manager felt that his old friend had broken the unwritten rules of the game by playing politics with information gleaned while he enjoyed his hospitality. In other words, he suspects the Tories have had a hand in whipping up the stories about the Mandelson-Deripaska relationship.
Friends say Mr Rothschild has "had words" with Mr Osborne and that his letter to The Times was intended to be "a slap on the wrist". They insist he was "hugely surprised" the Tories denied his claim that they solicited money from Mr Deripaska. The Tories suspect Lord Mandelson, furious at Mr Osborne's indiscretions, had a hand in the Rothschild letter – a charge denied by his friends and by Mr Rothschild, who insists it was his decision alone.
The allegations over funding have put a second question mark over Mr Osborne's judgement – and his future. In a blog yesterday, a gleeful Mr Wegg-Prosser said: "George loves to play the game, and on recent form he is good at it, rising to the heights of shadow Chancellor with relative ease. Everything for him is a game of political chess, a tactical policy move here, a strategic friendship there, a word in this columnist's ear and a lunch with that captain of industry. Always trading on insights, gossip, wit and considerable intelligence. Yet, might the same skills which have enabled him to climb the greasy pole be the same attributes that bring him down?"
Letter to The Times:
Sir, Not once in the acres of coverage did you mention that George Osborne found the opportunity of meeting with (Oleg) Deripaska so good that he invited the Conservatives' fundraiser Andrew Feldman, who was staying nearby, to accompany him on to Mr Deripaska's boat to solicit a donation.
Since Mr Deripaska is not a British citizen, it was suggested by Mr Feldman, in a subsequent conversation at which Mr Deripaska was not present, that the donation was "channelled" through one of Mr Deripaska's British companies. Mr Deripaska declined to make any donation.
Tory statement in response:
"The allegations made in Mr Rothschild's letter are completely untrue. Both Andrew Feldman and George Osborne deny absolutely that they attempted to solicit a donation from Oleg Deripaska. Nor did they suggest a method by which he could conceal a donation via a British company. They spent a short period of time on Mr Deripaska's boat at the invitation of Mr Rothschild. Donations to the Conservative Party were not discussed with Mr Deripaska."
Corfugate: The unlikely crew on the good ship Queen K
George Osborne
Shadow Chancellor and David Cameron's closest political ally as a founding member of the "Notting Hill Set" of modernising Tory MPs. The 37-year-old is the son of a baronet and beneficiary of a family trust linked to the Osborne and Little wallpaper firm. While at Oxford he was a member of the Bullingdon Club drinking society along with Nathaniel Rothschild, a financier and son of Baron Rothshchild, who gave the Conservative Party £190,000 – which helps to fund Mr Osborne's office.
Nathaniel Rothschild
The Eton and Oxford-educated financier is heir to a banking fortune – he and his father are estimated to be worth a combined £1.4bn. But he is also a successful financier in his own right. His work as co-chairman of the Atticus Capital investment fund since
1995 is said to have put him on track to becoming the most wealthy Rothschild in history, with homes in Klosters, London, New York and Corfu. His link with Mr Osborne goes back to their days at Oxford in the Bullingdon Club.
Andrew Feldman
The Conservative Party chief executive and party fundraiser, 42, is a close Oxford friend of David Cameron. The two were members of the Brasenose College tennis team and helped to organise theircollege's May Ball. Mr Feldman, a lawyer who ran his family textile firm, was instrumental in persuading Mr Cameron to stand for the Tory leadership, putting him in touch with the carpet tycoon and Tory donor Lord Harris. He subsequently helped to organise Mr Cameron's leadership election.
Oleg Deripaska
The oligarch, 40, is listed by Forbes as Russia's richest man with a fortune built on aluminium and his Basic Element master company. He is said to be close to Vladimir Putin. British interests include LDV vans and he is rumoured to be interested in buying a football club. His friendship with Peter Mandelson sparked a row after the EU lifted a 14.9 per cent tariff on aluminium in 2005.
Peter Mandelson
Lord Mandelson, 55, holds the distinction of being the first cabinet minister to resign twice, quitting the DTI in 1998 after details of a home loan from Geoffrey Robinson emerged. He returned as Northern Ireland Secretary before resigning over the Hinduja passport affair, although he was cleared. He returned to the Cabinet this month, after serving as EU trade commissioner.
'I met oligarch five times but didn't ask for money'
This is the edited text of the statement issued on behalf of George Osborne and Andrew Feldman
George Osborne has met Oleg Deripaska on five occasions, four of which happened over a weekend in Corfu in August.On Saturday 26 January 2008 at the Davos World Economic Forum, Mr Osborne was introduced to Mr Deripaska in the company of others including Peter Mandelson. They had a brief group conversation about the world economy.
On Friday 22 August while on a family holiday in Corfu, Mr Osborne and his wife were invited onto Mr Deripaska's yacht by Mr Rothschild. Others present again included Peter Mandelson. The conversation involved Russian and British politics. There was no conversation about political donations.
That evening Mr Osborne attended a party at the Rothschild villa and sat on the same table as Mr Rothschild, Mr Deripaska and Mr Mandelson. Again, there was no conversation about party funding.
The next evening – 23 August – Mr Osborne attended a dinner at a local taverna. Mr Deripaska did not attend but Mr Rothschild and Peter Mandelson did. The conversation involved the state of British politics.
The next day – 24 August – Mr Osborne, who had been staying in a rented house but was now staying at the Rothschild villa with his family, mentioned to Mr Rothschild that Andrew Feldman – who Mr Rothschild had met once before – was holidaying half an hour away with his family and friends.
Mr Rothschild invited Mr Feldman to join them for an early evening drink at the villa. This was a social invitation and at no point previously had Mr Osborne and Mr Rothschild discussed the possibility of a donation to the Conservative Party from Mr Deripaska.
Mr Feldman, Mr Osborne, Mr Rothschild and two other house guests gathered on the villa terrace. There was a discussion about British and American politics in the course of which Mr Rothschild suggested to Mr Feldman that his friend, Mr Deripaska could be interested in making a party donation. Mr Feldman had not met Mr Deripaska previously and was not aware who he was.
Mr Feldman said there were strict rules on donations to political parties in the UK. He said there were two ways of giving a political donation – if you appear as an individual on the UK electoral roll or if the donation comes from a legitimate UK trading company.
This is an explanation Mr Feldman gives regularly. At this point Mr Rothschild said Mr Deripaska owned UK trading companies including Leyland Daf. There was no discussion about how a donation by Mr Deripaska could be concealed or channelled. At no point did Mr Osborne or Mr Feldman solicit or ask for a donation, suggest ways of channelling a donation or express a wish to meet with Mr Deripaska to discuss donations. The conversation moved on to the US elections.
Some time later Mr Rothschild – having phoned Mr Deripaska – invited Mr Osborne, Mr Feldman and one other house guest for a drink on Mr Deripaska's yacht which was moored nearby. Mr Osborne and Mr Feldman agreed to meet with Mr Deripaska.
They stayed on the boat for about an hour and drank tea. There was a discussion about British and Russian politics, education and Russian history. There was no mention of party funding or the possibility of Mr Deripaska making a donation to the Conservative Party.
After they left the boat Mr Feldman did not see Mr Deripaska or Mr Rothschild again and had no further conversations with Mr Deripaska. Mr Osborne met Mr Deripaska again briefly the following lunchtime when Mr Deripaska and Mr Mandelson visited the Rothschild villa. The conversation lasted no more than five minutes and there was no discussion about political donations. Indeed Mr Osborne has had no further discussions with Mr Deripaska. Nor has he had a further conversation with Mr Rothschild about donations.
On 18 September Mr Feldman and Mr Rothschild had a phone conversation about the possibility of Mr Rothschild hosting a fund-raising dinner for the Conservative Party – something the Rothschild family have done before. Mr Rothschild mentioned that Leyland Daf, a UK trading company owned by Mr Deripaska, was interested in making a donation to the party.
Mr Feldman said that he was not sure if such a donation was appropriate. He told Mr Rothschild he would seek advice. Later that day it was decided after consultation with senior party officials that it would not be appropriate to accept such a donation. There was no further contact from Mr Rothschild or Mr Deripaska and the matter was considered to be at an end.
For clarity – neither Mr Feldman nor Mr Osborne have ever discussed with Oleg Deripaska the possibility of him making a political donation. At no point in any of these meetings did Mr Osborne or Mr Feldman solicit or attempt to solicit a donation from Mr Deripaska. Nor did they suggest any way that a donation could be channelled or concealed through a British company.
This statement constitutes a full explanation of Mr Osborne and Mr Feldman's dealings with Mr Deripaska. We would now urge Lord Mandelson to provide the same.
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.
**
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
When Peter Mandelson made his shock return to the Cabinet this month, George Osborne could not believe it. Only six weeks earlier, the shadow Chancellor had enjoyed a frank and convivial conversation with Lord Mandelson over dinner at a taverna in Corfu, after their paths crossed during their summer breaks.
The political rivals were unusually candid. Mr Osborne, it seems, spoke about the resistance among Tory activists to the modernising medicine David Cameron was forcing them to swallow. In turn, Lord Mandelson is said to have admitted that Gordon Brown was vulnerable to the charge of presiding over a "culture of debt".
For Mr Osborne, who has a reputation at Westminster for loving to exchange good gossip, his holiday chat was too good to keep to himself. Two days after Mr Brown made Lord Mandelson his Business Secretary, a front-page story appeared in The Sunday Times under the headline: "Mandelson damned PM to top Tory." It claimed that Lord Mandelson "dripped pure poison" about Mr Brown.
Although Mr Osborne was not named as the source, he said on television on the day the story appeared: "Let me just say it's very surprising to hear him say he's joined at the hip with Gordon Brown. And if the problem with this Government is it's divided and dysfunctional, bringing Peter Mandelson in is going to make it more dysfunctional and more divided."
Yesterday, it appeared that Mr Osborne's decision to pass on his chat with Lord Mandelson had backfired on him spectacularly. He was alleged to have solicited money during his visit to Corfu from Oleg Deripaska, Russia's richest man, who is a friend of Lord Mandelson. Since becoming Business Secretary, a series of newspaper articles has appeared about his links to the billionaire businessman, whose companies benefited from a relaxation of EU tariffs on aluminium while Lord Mandelson was its Trade Commissioner. Lord Mandelson and Commission officials have insisted that there was no conflict of interest, and no impropriety has been proved.
There have been hints from Labour sources that the Tories were "playing with fire" because something else happened in Corfu this summer that could be extremely damaging to them. Ben Wegg–Prosser, Lord Mandelson's former aide who now lives in Moscow, wrote prophetically on his "Wegg-Blog" last week: "Thanks to George Osborne's blabbermouth Peter's vacation has now dominated two weeks' worth of Sunday newspapers. Anyway, that's another story in itself, and one which George will come to regret I suspect."
Yesterday it became clear what he was referring to. In a letter to The Times, Nat Rothschild, a hedge-fund manager and member of the banking dynasty, expressed concern that the paper and its Sunday stablemate has focused on the friendship between Lord Mandelson and Mr Deripaska in reports about "a private gathering of my friends".
Mr Rothschild, one of Mr Osborne's oldest friends since they were contemporaries at Oxford University, alleged that Mr Osborne, who was staying at the Rothschild family villa in Corfu, invited the Tories' chief fundraiser Andrew Feldman to join him on Mr Deripaska's £80m yacht Queen K "to solicit a donation" to the Tories.
His letter went on: "Since Mr Deripaska is not a British citizen, it was suggested by Mr Feldman in a subsequent conversation at which Mr Deripaska was not present, that the donation was 'channelled' through one of Mr Deripaska's British companies." The law states that donors to UK parties must be on the electoral register and UK companies cannot be used as a front for foreign donations.
Why did such a glittering cast list of characters from the worlds of politics and business gather in Corfu in August? Lord Mandelson went to the island to attend a dinner party marking the 40th birthday of Elisabeth Murdoch at the Rothschild family villa on the island. The 40 people present included her father Rupert Murdoch, whose media empire includes the two Times titles, Mr Osborne, Mr Deripaska, Lord Mandelson and Mr Rothschild.
The fateful dinner at the taverna in which Lord Mandelson and Mr Osborne swapped stories about British politics took place on the day after the Murdoch party. Again, Mr Rothschild was present. On the following day, Mr Osborne told Mr Rothschild that Mr Feldman was holidaying 12 miles away. Mr Rothschild invited Mr Feldman to join them for an early evening drink on the terrace's villa.
According to the Conservatives, it was Mr Rothschild who raised the prospect of Mr Deripaska giving money to the party – not Mr Osborne or Mr Feldman. They then joined the Russian tycoon on his yacht. The Tories are adamant there was no discussion of any donation either then or when Mr Osborne had a five-minute discussion with Mr Deripaska at the Rothschild villa the following day.
On 18 September, Mr Rothschild told Mr Feldman that Leyland Daf, a British van manufacturer owned by the Russian businessman, was interested in giving money to the Tories. After consulting senior party officials, Mr Feldman decided that while a donation would not be illegal, it would not be appropriate.
The long-standing friendship between Mr Rothschild and Mr Osborne makes the dispute over their rival version of events even more remarkable. His mother, Lady Serena Rothschild, gave £190,000 to help fund the shadow Chancellor's office in 2007, channelled through Conservative HQ.
Why, then, did Mr Rothschild turn against the man who was a fellow member of the hell-raising Bullingdon Club while they were at Oxford? According to friends, the hedge-fund manager felt that his old friend had broken the unwritten rules of the game by playing politics with information gleaned while he enjoyed his hospitality. In other words, he suspects the Tories have had a hand in whipping up the stories about the Mandelson-Deripaska relationship.
Friends say Mr Rothschild has "had words" with Mr Osborne and that his letter to The Times was intended to be "a slap on the wrist". They insist he was "hugely surprised" the Tories denied his claim that they solicited money from Mr Deripaska. The Tories suspect Lord Mandelson, furious at Mr Osborne's indiscretions, had a hand in the Rothschild letter – a charge denied by his friends and by Mr Rothschild, who insists it was his decision alone.
The allegations over funding have put a second question mark over Mr Osborne's judgement – and his future. In a blog yesterday, a gleeful Mr Wegg-Prosser said: "George loves to play the game, and on recent form he is good at it, rising to the heights of shadow Chancellor with relative ease. Everything for him is a game of political chess, a tactical policy move here, a strategic friendship there, a word in this columnist's ear and a lunch with that captain of industry. Always trading on insights, gossip, wit and considerable intelligence. Yet, might the same skills which have enabled him to climb the greasy pole be the same attributes that bring him down?"
Letter to The Times:
Sir, Not once in the acres of coverage did you mention that George Osborne found the opportunity of meeting with (Oleg) Deripaska so good that he invited the Conservatives' fundraiser Andrew Feldman, who was staying nearby, to accompany him on to Mr Deripaska's boat to solicit a donation.
Since Mr Deripaska is not a British citizen, it was suggested by Mr Feldman, in a subsequent conversation at which Mr Deripaska was not present, that the donation was "channelled" through one of Mr Deripaska's British companies. Mr Deripaska declined to make any donation.
Tory statement in response:
"The allegations made in Mr Rothschild's letter are completely untrue. Both Andrew Feldman and George Osborne deny absolutely that they attempted to solicit a donation from Oleg Deripaska. Nor did they suggest a method by which he could conceal a donation via a British company. They spent a short period of time on Mr Deripaska's boat at the invitation of Mr Rothschild. Donations to the Conservative Party were not discussed with Mr Deripaska."
Corfugate: The unlikely crew on the good ship Queen K
George Osborne
Shadow Chancellor and David Cameron's closest political ally as a founding member of the "Notting Hill Set" of modernising Tory MPs. The 37-year-old is the son of a baronet and beneficiary of a family trust linked to the Osborne and Little wallpaper firm. While at Oxford he was a member of the Bullingdon Club drinking society along with Nathaniel Rothschild, a financier and son of Baron Rothshchild, who gave the Conservative Party £190,000 – which helps to fund Mr Osborne's office.
Nathaniel Rothschild
The Eton and Oxford-educated financier is heir to a banking fortune – he and his father are estimated to be worth a combined £1.4bn. But he is also a successful financier in his own right. His work as co-chairman of the Atticus Capital investment fund since
1995 is said to have put him on track to becoming the most wealthy Rothschild in history, with homes in Klosters, London, New York and Corfu. His link with Mr Osborne goes back to their days at Oxford in the Bullingdon Club.
Andrew Feldman
The Conservative Party chief executive and party fundraiser, 42, is a close Oxford friend of David Cameron. The two were members of the Brasenose College tennis team and helped to organise theircollege's May Ball. Mr Feldman, a lawyer who ran his family textile firm, was instrumental in persuading Mr Cameron to stand for the Tory leadership, putting him in touch with the carpet tycoon and Tory donor Lord Harris. He subsequently helped to organise Mr Cameron's leadership election.
Oleg Deripaska
The oligarch, 40, is listed by Forbes as Russia's richest man with a fortune built on aluminium and his Basic Element master company. He is said to be close to Vladimir Putin. British interests include LDV vans and he is rumoured to be interested in buying a football club. His friendship with Peter Mandelson sparked a row after the EU lifted a 14.9 per cent tariff on aluminium in 2005.
Peter Mandelson
Lord Mandelson, 55, holds the distinction of being the first cabinet minister to resign twice, quitting the DTI in 1998 after details of a home loan from Geoffrey Robinson emerged. He returned as Northern Ireland Secretary before resigning over the Hinduja passport affair, although he was cleared. He returned to the Cabinet this month, after serving as EU trade commissioner.
'I met oligarch five times but didn't ask for money'
This is the edited text of the statement issued on behalf of George Osborne and Andrew Feldman
George Osborne has met Oleg Deripaska on five occasions, four of which happened over a weekend in Corfu in August.On Saturday 26 January 2008 at the Davos World Economic Forum, Mr Osborne was introduced to Mr Deripaska in the company of others including Peter Mandelson. They had a brief group conversation about the world economy.
On Friday 22 August while on a family holiday in Corfu, Mr Osborne and his wife were invited onto Mr Deripaska's yacht by Mr Rothschild. Others present again included Peter Mandelson. The conversation involved Russian and British politics. There was no conversation about political donations.
That evening Mr Osborne attended a party at the Rothschild villa and sat on the same table as Mr Rothschild, Mr Deripaska and Mr Mandelson. Again, there was no conversation about party funding.
The next evening – 23 August – Mr Osborne attended a dinner at a local taverna. Mr Deripaska did not attend but Mr Rothschild and Peter Mandelson did. The conversation involved the state of British politics.
The next day – 24 August – Mr Osborne, who had been staying in a rented house but was now staying at the Rothschild villa with his family, mentioned to Mr Rothschild that Andrew Feldman – who Mr Rothschild had met once before – was holidaying half an hour away with his family and friends.
Mr Rothschild invited Mr Feldman to join them for an early evening drink at the villa. This was a social invitation and at no point previously had Mr Osborne and Mr Rothschild discussed the possibility of a donation to the Conservative Party from Mr Deripaska.
Mr Feldman, Mr Osborne, Mr Rothschild and two other house guests gathered on the villa terrace. There was a discussion about British and American politics in the course of which Mr Rothschild suggested to Mr Feldman that his friend, Mr Deripaska could be interested in making a party donation. Mr Feldman had not met Mr Deripaska previously and was not aware who he was.
Mr Feldman said there were strict rules on donations to political parties in the UK. He said there were two ways of giving a political donation – if you appear as an individual on the UK electoral roll or if the donation comes from a legitimate UK trading company.
This is an explanation Mr Feldman gives regularly. At this point Mr Rothschild said Mr Deripaska owned UK trading companies including Leyland Daf. There was no discussion about how a donation by Mr Deripaska could be concealed or channelled. At no point did Mr Osborne or Mr Feldman solicit or ask for a donation, suggest ways of channelling a donation or express a wish to meet with Mr Deripaska to discuss donations. The conversation moved on to the US elections.
Some time later Mr Rothschild – having phoned Mr Deripaska – invited Mr Osborne, Mr Feldman and one other house guest for a drink on Mr Deripaska's yacht which was moored nearby. Mr Osborne and Mr Feldman agreed to meet with Mr Deripaska.
They stayed on the boat for about an hour and drank tea. There was a discussion about British and Russian politics, education and Russian history. There was no mention of party funding or the possibility of Mr Deripaska making a donation to the Conservative Party.
After they left the boat Mr Feldman did not see Mr Deripaska or Mr Rothschild again and had no further conversations with Mr Deripaska. Mr Osborne met Mr Deripaska again briefly the following lunchtime when Mr Deripaska and Mr Mandelson visited the Rothschild villa. The conversation lasted no more than five minutes and there was no discussion about political donations. Indeed Mr Osborne has had no further discussions with Mr Deripaska. Nor has he had a further conversation with Mr Rothschild about donations.
On 18 September Mr Feldman and Mr Rothschild had a phone conversation about the possibility of Mr Rothschild hosting a fund-raising dinner for the Conservative Party – something the Rothschild family have done before. Mr Rothschild mentioned that Leyland Daf, a UK trading company owned by Mr Deripaska, was interested in making a donation to the party.
Mr Feldman said that he was not sure if such a donation was appropriate. He told Mr Rothschild he would seek advice. Later that day it was decided after consultation with senior party officials that it would not be appropriate to accept such a donation. There was no further contact from Mr Rothschild or Mr Deripaska and the matter was considered to be at an end.
For clarity – neither Mr Feldman nor Mr Osborne have ever discussed with Oleg Deripaska the possibility of him making a political donation. At no point in any of these meetings did Mr Osborne or Mr Feldman solicit or attempt to solicit a donation from Mr Deripaska. Nor did they suggest any way that a donation could be channelled or concealed through a British company.
This statement constitutes a full explanation of Mr Osborne and Mr Feldman's dealings with Mr Deripaska. We would now urge Lord Mandelson to provide the same.
The shadow is a moral problem that challenges the whole ego-personality, for no one can become conscious of the shadow without considerable moral effort. To become conscious of it involves recognizing the dark aspects of the personality as present and real. This act is the essential condition for any kind of self-knowledge.
Carl Jung - Aion (1951). CW 9, Part II: P.14