I hear that Prestonpans branch of the Labour Party, the East Lothian CLP, and the Prestonpans Labour Club have all been reported to the Electoral Commission for breaching the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000.
I understand that the donations, set up when Labour was running the council and stopped by the SNP, were illegal because any political party; accounting unit of any political party; or Members Association (like a club) of a political party should check the permissibility of any donation, including whether the donor is a permissible donor. Councils are not permissible donors and the three parts of the Labour Party were accepting these donations illegally for at least the nine years since PPERA was introduced.
The donations were always illegal but it's not clear (to me, anyway) whether it was illegal to accept them before 2000. Perhaps m'learned friends can advise on the legality of accepting a donation which was being given illegally? In any case, it would appear that Marx was correct about history repeating itself.
Mind how you go!
1 comment:
You may be right on this one.
Brown envelopes were perfectly fine and dandy before 2001.
For any amount.
Brown envelopes are still fine - but you can only put 200 squid in them now.
As from New Year's Day, you'll be able to stuff a monkey in an envelope and the party can accept it no questions asked, gov.
Another fine idea from the Labour Party and supported by the Tories in July.
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