Purse strings
A call from the Hain camp. John Underwood, they say, was not Hain4 Labour's campaign treasurer. In fact, the campaign had no official, overall treasurer.
Why don't I find that too hard to believe. And yet ...
The two campaign managers - Phil Taylor until he left in early April and after that, Steve Morgan - were in charge I'm told, until the latter stages of the process when John Underwood took overall charge. 'Latter stages', I think, means when they'd lost but still needed to raise an awful lot of cash.
That's not the version of events a source very, very close to the top of the campaign is giving us even now. He insists Mr Underwood was the campaign treasurer.
Chaos reigns.
As for Mr Hain? They're not sure where he is today apparently.
I'm Betsan Powys, ´óÏó´«Ã½ Wales' political editor. I'll be blogging the inside track on .
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At last this career politician has egg on his face, and he deserves it.
Years ago he was a Liberal, then he turned to Labour. He was also a CND campaigner, now he's voted in favour of nuclear power.
There is no room for people like this in politics.
Politicians should be there to represent the people not their careers.
This donations business first blew up when this guy Abrahams made donations in other people's names which apparently is illegal. So donors give money to a so called Think Tank that nobody has heard of and that Think Tank gives money to Hain's campaign...exactly the same as what Abrahams did, so that is surely illegal so worthy of a criminal investigation. But what of this Think Tank is it really a Think Tank or just a cover for making illegal donations, it seems more than a coincidence that this guy Underwood was fronting for this Think Tank and was treasurer of Hain's campaign. A resignation matter I think!!
Incredible!! Whatever sympathy one might have had (prior to yesterday )regarding how the alleged "late donations" were dealt with has now disappeared.We have all been involved in administrative "cock ups" but this is developing into much,much more.
Despite what some are saying,the people involved with Hain`s campaign were no mugs as the emerging scandal of the Think Tank clearly shows.
To have under declared donations on such a huge margin is one thing but to have apparantly used a Think Tank to hide donations is quite another.
Gordon Brown must be very angry.
He'll be lucky to survive this. I can't see him quitting as he enjoys the power and lifestyle too much to return to the backbenches. Hain will only quit if Gordon tells him to and gives him no other option.
Interesting new insight from David Cornock in Westminster.
Incredible!!Whatever sympathy one might have had (prior to yesterday) regarding how the alleged "late donations" were dealt with has now disappeared.In our time we have all been involved in administrative "cock ups" but this is developing into much,much more.
Despite what some are saying,the people involved in Hain`s campaign were no mugs as the emerging scandal of the Think Tank clearly shows.
To have under declared donations by such a huge margin is one thing but to have apparently used an obscure Think Tank to hide donations is quite another.
Gordon Brown must be very angry.
Incredible!!Whatever sympathy one might have had (prior to yesterday) regarding how the alleged "late donations" were dealt with has now disappeared.In our time we have all been involved in administrative "cock ups" but this is developing into much,much more.
Despite what some are saying,the people involved in Hain`s campaign were no mugs as the emerging scandal of the Think Tank clearly shows.
To have under declared donations by such a huge margin is one thing but to have apparently used an obscure Think Tank to hide donations is quite another.
Gordon Brown must be very angry.
It pushes the bounds of credibility to expect us to accept that a failure to declare a £103,000 out of a total of a £185,000 to be an administrative error...some error, and sorry but its also unbelievable...Resign.
What does a labour minister have to do before Gordon Brown sacks them?? Robbery? Murder? Hain isn't the only one who has been shown to have broken rules on donations. It is Browns fault, by turning a blind eye, he merely encourages members of his cabinet to break these rules.
I am not so sure about asking him to go. It does smack of dodgey-dealings, bit public confidence of politicians whilst under New Labour has been at an all-time low. Perhaps the cash was used for the removal of the WMD. Or now that Blair is constructing himself as the saviour of the region with his old bully-boy mate Bush, then sold the WMD on the quiet and then donated it back to Hain!! Seriously, who really does expect him to take the ethical path and go? No-one. Well, not me anyhow.
Good the hear Comrade Rhodri providing "frateral support" on R4 Engeeeerland! Radio Cymru only... "Sad Events etc...."
As in, "if Hain was a fish, I'd throw him back in!"
Pay-back time for 1999 etc. ?
Can't account for over £100,000? Do me a favour - the man deserves what's coming to him!