The questions a probe would ask WENDY ALEXANDER and members of her campaign team are facing a raft of investigations after they admitted breaking UK funding laws.
WENDYGATE
| The donors | | Who gave to Wendy's campaign ... and the members of the team who brought in the cash |
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Labour's Holyrood leader and her colleagues will be bogged down for months if inquiries are launched by the Electoral Commission and the police.
Some could face prison if convicted.
The nightmare situation for Alexander follows her campaign team's admission that they received an illegal £950 donation from tycoon Paul Green, a tax exile who lives in Jersey. The MSP who solicited the cash, Charlie Gordon, is likely to face a grilling by Electoral Commission bosses over why he solicited such a donation from a tax exile. Gordon will be called on to explain why he believed the donation had been made through UK company Combined Property Services (CPS).
He is likely to be asked about what led to him making this assumption, given that it has been comprehensively rubbished by Green and CPS.
It is illegal to facilitate the making of donations by impermissible donors, a penalty punishable by a year in prison.
Alexander is also facing investigation after it appeared that she, too, breached electoral law. As a "regulated donee" in her campaign, she is required by law to return any illegal donation within 30 days. This time period has elapsed.
Alexander and her aides are likely to be asked for precise details of when they knew there were legal problems about the donation. She may be asked for the "paper trail" surrounding the donation.
Her campaign may also have broken funding rules by apparently "switching" the name of another one of their donors. The campaign list states Moir Lockhead, chief executive of First Group, contributed £995, but another column shows the name given to the Electoral Commission was "John Lyons", a one-time consultant to the company.
Electoral Commission rules state: "Transferring a donation to an agent rather than directly to a donee must not be used as an attempt to evade the controls on permissibility and transparency."
If this donation was made by Lyons, Alexander's campaign team will face searching questions on why the name was switched.
A spokeswoman for the Electoral Commission confirmed: "We have written to her Wendy Alexander about donations received by the campaign."
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Posted by: donald, glasgow on 6:27am Sun 2 Dec 07
Will the Met be appointed to cover up for them, or can Strathclyde Polis be relied upon to their bidding?
Will the Met be appointed to cover up for them, or can Strathclyde Polis be relied upon to their bidding?
Posted by: Mac, Dundee on 10:12am Sun 2 Dec 07
There is an additional question.
Why has it taken 50 years for the Herald and other Scottish papers to investigate the actions of the Labour party in Scotland?
The rumours of wrong doing by Labour politicians and Labour party members have been circulating for decades in Scotland. Even the dead have been involved in Labour transgressions.
There is an additional question.
Why has it taken 50 years for the Herald and other Scottish papers to investigate the actions of the Labour party in Scotland?
The rumours of wrong doing by Labour politicians and Labour party members have been circulating for decades in Scotland. Even the dead have been involved in Labour transgressions.
Posted by: Rab the Ranter, Carluke on 10:54am Sun 2 Dec 07
The new Chief of Strathclyde Polis has just come up from the Met!
Don't hold your breath!
Conspiracy theorists awake!
The new Chief of Strathclyde Polis has just come up from the Met!
Don't hold your breath!
Conspiracy theorists awake!
Posted by: John Leven, Leven Fife on 11:54am Sun 2 Dec 07
This must be the worlds first instance of investigative journalism, that the journalists did not want to write.
Even though this, so far is clear cut, it is still hedged in perhaps and maybe. Just pretend it was the SNP then you guys could go for the throat. The Washington Post it is not.
You can get your Pulitzer through a third party, then Gordon and Wendy will not know it was you that put the polis onto them.
This must be the worlds first instance of investigative journalism, that the journalists did not want to write.
Even though this, so far is clear cut, it is still hedged in perhaps and maybe. Just pretend it was the SNP then you guys could go for the throat. The Washington Post it is not.
You can get your Pulitzer through a third party, then Gordon and Wendy will not know it was you that put the polis onto them.
Posted by: canofworms, Glasgow on 5:16pm Sun 2 Dec 07
It won't be Strathclyde, it will be Lothian and Borders. The Parliament is in Edinburgh! Doh!
It won't be Strathclyde, it will be Lothian and Borders. The Parliament is in Edinburgh! Doh!
Posted by: Cynic, East Kilbride on 12:53am Mon 3 Dec 07
[bold]bold[/bold] Time for ALL politicians to be made accountable to the People of Scotland.
Time for career Politicians to be made redundant
to be replaced by people who have real commonsense values, untainted by greed or the need for personal power.
Time for the People Of Scotland to start thinking for themselves and not rely on Politicians.
Time for a 'Party of the People'
Time for ALL politicians to be made accountable to the People of Scotland.
Time for career Politicians to be made redundant
to be replaced by people who have real commonsense values, untainted by greed or the need for personal power.
Time for the People Of Scotland to start thinking for themselves and not rely on Politicians.
Time for a 'Party of the People'
Posted by: How many brown nosed her? on 6:28am Sun 9 Dec 07
The questions?
How many brown nosed her for self-gain? How many did she - Donald's poodle - brown nose over the years
The questions?
How many brown nosed her for self-gain? How many did she - Donald's poodle - brown nose over the years
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