Tuesday, October 21, 2008

The Political Cocoon.

I'm inclined to believe George Osbourne when he denies any wrong doing about discussing illegal donations, if only because the sum of money involved, £50000, is hardly worth breaking the law over in the context of a multi million pound party budget. It also feels like a Mandelson smear campaign.

Having said that anyone who can't see trouble ahead when dining aboard the yacht of a Russian Oligarch with an EU Commissioner and a scion of the world's most famous banking dynasty needs their head examined. It reinforces the idea of Britain being run by a small political class who regardless of nominal ideology have far more in common with each other than with those they represent.


Update: The Pub Philosopher has a good post on this subject. The role of Nat Rothschild in this is particularly interesting, how dare he find it outrageous when someone blows the whistle on a secret meeting between Oligarchs, politicians and EU Commissioners! His attitude is disgraceful.

6 comments:

James Higham said...

He's a liability.

Anonymous said...

Perhaps, but I doubt that Cameron sees it that way.

Anonymous said...

Ross

"It reinforces the idea of Britain being run by a small political class who regardless of nominal ideology have far more in common with each other than with those they represent."

Who thought it was any different?

Ross said...

Well I thought they might be less brazen about it.

Mark Wadsworth said...

George may be a twat, but to be fair, the minute this story came on the news my first thought was "I wonder whether this Russkie has an active UK company through which he could channel said donation?", and I bet that was his first thought as well. Which would make it perfectly above board and legal, of course.

UKIP have learned this the hard way. The Lib Dems don't think think the rule applies to them. But like it or not, it is the law.

Ross said...

"my first thought was "I wonder whether this Russkie has an active UK company through which he could channel said donation?" "

Yes, that would seem a perfectly reasonable thing to suggest.