The Independent on Sunday have bitten the bullet and openly questioned what Matthew Gould was doing in all those meetings with Adam Werritty, and why Gus O’Donnell lied about them.
They have an interesting new line from an FCO spokesman:
“The FCO has total confidence that Matthew Gould has acted appropriately at all times and at no stage was he acting independently, or out of line with government policy,” a spokesman said yesterday.
So “British Ambassador Matthew Gould declared his commitment to Israel and the principles of Zionism on Thursday” – Jerusalem Post 29 May 2011 is therefore a statement of official British government policy. Good to know.
We have not only at last made the mainstream media, we have made the mainstream counter-media:
Mary (and other willing parties) The record of electoral donations by individuals and corporations,/i>
That is the official version, however there exist numerous trusts, which somehow remain outside the scope of the Electoral Commission, and these then provide various support mechanisms, that in effect offshore the whole of operations, ie Rose Trust for neolabour, etc.
Mary,
Administrator:
House # 11, Dev Smag road sant nagar
Lahore
Punjab,
PK
54000
name:(Faisal Hussain)
mail:([email protected]) 0092-321-4231156
0092-321-4231156
http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/matthew-gould-missing-link-%E2%80%9Crogue%E2%80%9D-uk-foreign-policy
Mind might be less biased and pro Israel, than the auntie we all suffer.
Komodo
fine but don’t post things on one thread that assume people read your comment on another thread, if you see what i mean
Fedup, I said the EC record wasn’t complete. I said it was a good starting point. It’s one of the few citeable sources available to us peasants. (ie, not hearsay, rumour or downright lie by interest group). If you have anything better, please let us know. I am presently looking at the bizarre list of constituencies funded by CFI in 05/06. I will then look at their MP’s and their interests. I will look for links from them in other directions. I will wonder some moe about why CFI was less active in the last election, and how the cash was channelled for that one. It turns up a hell of a lot more than bitching about the incompleteness of my sources does.
Craig,
Noted, and thanks.
Off topic. Breaking News on BBC website
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LATEST:Political blogger Paul Staines – known as Guido Fawkes – summoned to appear before Leveson Inquiry into media ethics
O/T Including the death of a soldier announced today, that makes seven deaths in Helmand Province this month. When is this war ending? Yet they want another in Iran.
Interesting link and information from some time ago
http://www.theoccidentalobserver.net/authors/Webster-Oborne.html
The link to Mary’s news on Paul Staines and Leveson inquiry.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15912314
To be fair to Guido, the lad’ll do well.
Thanks John. Craig you might not want this up here.
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http://order-order.com/2011/11/27/exclusive-alastair-campbell-evidence-to-leveson-claims-piers-morgans-daily-mirror-hacked-cherie-blairs-voicemail/
“Pravda” means “The Truth” and “Izvestiya” means “The News”. When I first started Russian I was told, and I know it’s an old one, there was no news in Izvestiya and no truth in Pravda. But have things changed on the coverage of Craig’s St Andrews’ debate?
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http://engforum.pravda.ru/index.php?/topic/242382-st-andrew-motion-war-on-iran-defeated/
Gets a bit antisemitic (in its unspun sense)at Pravda Forum, doesn’t it, John? And nevergiveup linked to a Martin Webster piece, based on Oborne’s excellent C4 programme. Unlike Oborne (I think), Webster’s visceral hatred of Jews in general contaminates his argument. I think we need to watch it. Allegations of antisemitism are the routine response to embarrassing revelations re. Israel…
Jonathan Sachs supports the two state solution and comments on how anti- semitism mutates into anti Zionism
http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/the-staggers/2011/11/israel-jobs-palestinian
He also appears to be familiar with this blog
“On the impact of the web more generally, Sacks said that while the “good vastly outweighs the bad”:
the internet through email lists and blogs is, unfortunately, the best disseminator of paranoia we have yet created, and it does tend to segregate people into sects of the like-minded.”
But of course offering alternatives views and explanations amounts to trolling – I’m sure the like minded will agree.
Komodo, thanks. The comment I linked to was the only one I had up to then seen. I’ve taken a look at some of the other comments and see what you mean!!!
Here’s a link to the Guardian article giving the jist of the article
“Former defence Secretary Liam Fox with his best man Adam Werritty at his wedding. Donors who gave money to the travel fund used by Werritty also donated to the Conservative party. Photograph: Stefan Rousseau/PA Three donors who gave money used by Liam Fox ‘s best man to fund travels across the… FULL ARTICLE AT GUARDIAN UNLIMITED
link here
http://www.allvoices.com/news/10941799-adam-werritty-donors-also-gave-to-tory-party-data-reveals
Komodo,
Is it time for hibernation, oh slithery one? Noting the cold and the wintry conditions, I understand your tetchy retort; “bitching”.
,
I was not, just observing, and adding the “offshore” concept ie opaque financial transactions, and the difficulties in getting to the “pravda”.
here’s the article from the Guardian
Three donors who gave money used by Liam Fox’s best man to fund travels across the world also donated to the Tories in the weeks leading up to the defence secretary’s downfall, new figures show.
Michael Lewis, who runs Oceana Investments and was a director of the pro-Israel lobby group Bicom, Mick Davis, the chief executive of Xstrata, and Poju Zabludowicz, a main funder of Bicom, gave a total of £73,200 to the Tories in the three months leading up to September.
All three helped to fund Pargav, the company that paid more than £140,000 towards lobbyist Adam Werritty’s first class flights and five-star hotels.
Fox resigned in October following allegations that he had given his close friend Werritty access to the Ministry of Defence and allowed him to join official trips overseas.
The party donations have emerged from data released by the Electoral Commission on Wednesday. Lewis gave £10,000 to Conservative party headquarters in September. His company Oceana was named in the O’Donnell report as a funder of Pargav.
Davis gave £48,500 to Conservative party headquarters, £5,000 to Harlow Conservative Association and £7,500 to education secretary Michael Gove’s office between July and September.
Zabludowicz donated £2,200 to the Finchley and Golders Green constituency party in August. His company Tamares gave money to Pargav.
Davis, 52, is chairman of United Jewish Israel Appeal, a British charity which splits its contributions between charitable work in the UK and Israel. Davis collects one of the biggest pay cheques in the FTSE 100 and was paid £21.2m last year.
Davis, Lewis and Zabludowicz have been named previously as major donors to the Tory party. Davis gave £150,000 to Conservative party central office over the last 21 months according to Electoral Commission records.
In June, Davis was among a delegation that included Zabludowicz, the chairman of Bicom, which met the foreign secretary, William Hague, to discuss the impact of the Arab spring on Israel.
Kevan Jones, shadow defence minister, said: “It is clear that the people who were funding Adam Werritty are funding the Conservative party.
“There remain big questions over who knew what and when about the funding and activity of Pargav.
“There was a lobbying scandal at the heart of David Cameron’s government and we still do not know the full facts. Until we do, suspicion around these donors will remain,” he said.
The Electoral Commission’s figures pose further difficult questions for the Tories over the party’s reliance on City funders.
More than £1m, 42.6% of the party’s donations over the three month period, came from City backers according to figures released by Labour. Donors include Adrian Beecroft, who gave £50,000. He wrote a report for the government this month calling for employers to be given the right to sack unproductive employees without explanation.
Labour outstripped the Tories in party fundraising over the summer by nearly 30%, the official figures show.
Donations totalled £3,529,270 for the opposition compared with the Conservatives’ £2,744,618.
Almost 90% of the Labour total, £3,138,443, came from the unions.
Lady Warsi, the Conservative co-chairman, said: “The unions swung Ed Miliband’s election as leader and it’s now clear that Labour is becoming even more reliant on the unions to keep the party afloat.
“Ed Miliband should stop being weak and condemn the strikes, but his reliance on the biggest vested interest in British politics today shows clearly why he won’t.”
link here halfway down the page
http://cempaka-europa.blogspot.com/
the witch lady Clinton is meeting with members of Mujahedin-e Khalq group. They have been in Cahoot with this terrorist groups for yeard, and now they are going to officially remove this group name from the banned lists. They are now called “Good terrorists” (enemy of my enemy….). This present USA administration is so stupid, so very very stupid, if there is an ounce of good will left in any Iranian towards American , it would disappear. Don’they realize that this group is absolutely hated by almost every Iranian inside and outside of Iran?
http://www.presstv.com/detail/212420.html
Hi again,
As you may or not be aware the Indy and Private Eye has picked up the story.
The was not much in the way of extra detail available so I won’t push you along that line of questioning again. It’s understandable that you don’t want to rock the boat in your own party.
However what was interesting was the line from the FCO who said:
“The FCO has total confidence that Matthew Gould has acted appropriately at all times and at no stage was he acting independently, or out of line with government policy,”
As you already know I believe it is inappropriate that someone who has professed an intention to fulfil his ambassadorial role in the pursuit of Zionism.
http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?ID=222636&R=R1
But that in doing so he is in line with British Foreign policy under a Conservative government.
Can you confirm that Zionism is an official British Foreign policy?
Is this policy something that you personally stand by?
This certainly has not been made clear to the voting public, and I’m fairly sure it would not be popular. If you believe in the policy you should put it to the public to decide on.
Unless you fear it might be unpopular, in which case your party is being very dishonest and undemocratic.
These are simple yes or no answers, to information I deserve to know about British Foreign policy. Refusing to answer these questions is simply not acceptable this time.
Kind Regards,
Michael Stephenson.
Just to make clear that was a letter to my MP James Wharton.
I’m not just some crazed mentalist.
Michael – They Work For You Register of Interests for James Wharton MP Con Stockton S.
.
Name of donor: Conservative Friends of Israel
Address of donor: 45B Westbourne Terrace, London W2 3UR
Amount of donation (or estimate of the probable value): £1,355
Destination of visit: Israel
Date of visit: 21– 25 February 2011
Purpose of visit: Fact finding political delegation to Israel and the West Bank
(Registered 16 March 2011 )
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He also received a £5,000 donation in March from a Sir John Hall whoever he is. And a first class pass to travel on Grand Central Railway worth £4,800!! plus another £3,500 from Sir John Hall in May 2010 for a fundraiser dinner.
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Plus a) Name of donor: *United and Cecil Club
(a) Address of donor: 36 Station Road, Uxbridge, Middlesex UB8 3AD.
(a) Amount of donation or nature and value if donation in kind: £4,000.
(a) Donor status: unincorporated association.
(a) (Registered 27 May 2010)
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I have seen that name *United and Cecil Club many times on Conservative MPs’ registers. Is it some cosy way of divvying out the donations from the likes of Zabludowicz et al?
Presume this Sir John Hall. Mr Gateshead by all accounts.
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http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/2011/05/11/2m-wynyard-garden-vision-looking-rosy-says-sir-john-hall-84229-28669614/
Pace Jonathan Sacks, I am not a virus, I am a reptile. Please get your subliminal insults right, rebbe.
26 October 2011
James Wharton (Stockton South, Conservative)
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On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. Should Opposition Members declare their interest if they have received union funding in their capacity as Members of this House, or for political campaigns, before making interventions? I would be grateful if you could clarify the rules on that matter.
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Dawn Primarolo (Deputy Speaker; Bristol South, Labour)
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Mr Wharton, I am sure that everybody is aware of what interests they should be declaring when they participate in any debate. That applies to an Adjournment debate, which is normally the property of the Member who has secured it.
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Hypocrisy. Do these Friends of Israel ever declare their interest when speaking in the House or in Committees?
The United and Cecil Club is indeed interesting. The Electoral Commission recently disallowed a donation from them…I’d better look up the details.
Ha, he replied saying he is refusing to have any correspondence with me, because I published his previous reply to me.
And he doesn’t like the contents of my twitter feed. Which consists of me slagging off Roger Federer, laughing at Boris Johnson getting booed, talking about my application to be on Pointless, and a RT of this article along with the comment “I’m delighted, In your face James Wharton”.
I’d publish the email here but he hasn’t responded to my request to publish it, I doubt he will.
If he doesn’t respond I’ll just publish it anyway as I’ve already burned my bridges with him.
Anyone know if it’s generally accepted that a politician can refuse correspondence with his constituent with such a flimsy justification?
I mean not liking my tweets? Really?
http://twitter.com/#!/mickstep
Not overtly Israeli, anyway. But a useful channel for just about anyone:
http://www.bacl.net/Default.aspx?sID=754&cID=73&ctID=43&lID=0
The United & Cecil Club makes very generous donations to the campaigns of Conservative candidates Charlotte Vere (£12,000), Simon Kirby (£12,000) and Mike Weatherley (£3,000). Ms Vere is the poor relation amongst the Tory trio, having raised just £12,000 (although she was only selected late last year). Simon Kirby has put over £21,000 of his own money into his campaign but has still enjoyed further support of £17,000 from the Winston Churchill Dining Club.
(Brighton Politics Blog)
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You have to ask how a dining club raises that kind of moolah. HOW much a seat?…