Ludo Thierry
Am totally puzzled by a piece carried in the National – Apparently ‘Union’ Jacko received a £5,000 donation for his ‘North British’ tory sub-branch manager campaign from a wealthy donor resident in Jersey. Don’t I recall wee Wendy Whats’it having to stand down following her labour North Brit sub-branch manager campaign accepting a donation from a Jersey resident (£300 from memory).
Have the rules changed – or is history about to repeat itself?? – My Brain Hurts!! Link and snippet below:
https://www.thenational.scot/news/18246224.carlaw-leadership-bid-boosted-tax-haven-donation/
REVEALED: Jackson Carlaw’s campaign backed by tax-haven donor
JACKSON Carlaw’s leadership campaign was boosted by a £5000 donation from a former Labour donor who lives in an overseas tax-haven.
Details of the gift from Jersey-based property tycoon Alan Massie were revealed today on the Tory MSP’s register of interests.
Editor and Researcher: See this:
Wendy Alexander has quit as Scottish Labour leader following a row over donations to her leadership campaign.
She was cleared by the Electoral Commission over an illegal donation from Jersey-based businessman Paul Green.
Separately, prosecutors decided not to bring a case against Ms Alexander for failing to record gifts to her campaign in the MSPs’ register of interests – but Holyrood’s standards committee recommended she should be banned from parliament for a day for breaking the rules.
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
Here’s some really good news carried in The Courier – Priti might be doing her darn’dest to make in-migration to Scotland as difficult as possible – but here are some most welcome entrepreneurial migrants arriving from Henley-on- Thames of all places – Welcome aboard folks – Scotland is delighted to have you join us: Link and snippets below:
https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/business/business-news/1155030/watch-company-calls-time-on-england-and-relocates-to-perth/
An ambitious British watch brand has called time on its Henley-on-Thames base in England and relocated to Perth, triggering a recruitment drive.
The Marloe Watch Company — which received a £600,000 crowdfunding investment last year and saw a 488% jump in profits between 2015 and 2018 — said the move is part of a planned expansion strategy but was also strongly influenced by Scotland’s position on remaining in the EU.
The firm, which specialises in heritage, mechanical timepieces, has doubled the size of its head office as part of the move, which brought together its existing Perth-based design studio with its wider business operations.
The move marks the start of a new period of intense growth for the business, which was founded in 2015 by Oliver Goffe and Gordon Fraser.
Following the investment achieved last year, the brand is working towards achieving annual sales just shy of £1 million by the end of 2020.
Mr Goffe said: “We are focused on ambitious growth but want to avoid becoming a behemoth that loses touch with its customers and sight of our values.
Goffe added the move had a political aspect.
He said: “As a business, we are certainly pro Remain so a Scottish base sits better with our values.”
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I think, too, that Ms Alexander had been unaware of the ‘donation’, as it had been requested by a Glasgow Labour Councillor and Labour machiavellian on Ms Alexander’s advisers and deposited in her account.
Personally, I think it gave Ms Alexander a reason to stop being a politician. Although she was an experienced policy ‘wonk’ of formidable intelligence, she did not really have the temperament to be a politician. Since, apart from Donald Dewar no Scottish Labour ‘talent’ – and it was a period when the party had a heavy quota of pretty talented politicians – made the switch from Westminster to Holyrood, then Labour used the electoral system to have her elected as a list MSP to beef up the paucity of Labour people with ability to form the cabinet with the LibDems.
It was clear that without Donald Dewar’s presence she did not have strong support within the shadowy figures who wielded power in Scottish Labour. She had made a statement about an independence referendum, “bring it on’, which reportedly made Gordon Brown apoplectic since he KNEW what was good for Scotland and, her ‘outburst’ was grounds for plotting against her. It is thought that the solicited ‘donation’ and its leaking to the press might have been done by one and the same person.
Of course, the Scottish media will make no fuss about Jackson Carlaw’s campaign donation.
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Here’s a bit more info from a P+J piece in May 2019 – Mr. Massie seems rather louche in his political affections it must be said. It suggests if someone is living abroad as a tax-exile they might potentially be a donor to political parties if registered on the Electoral Roll – That tax-dodgers can potentially remain on the Electoral Roll for 15 years (as an overseas voter) after bailing out is pretty nauseating – but absolutely fits with Ukanian attitudes to elites wielding power and influence. Here’s hoping that someone who knows their stuff is taking a bit of a look at this particular donation, just in case. Rules are rules, after all.
https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/aberdeen/1749370/tycoon-to-bankroll-any-party-to-protect-union/
May 16, 2019
A north-east tycoon has revealed plans to bankroll different Unionist parties in seats across Scotland to try to derail the SNP’s bid for a second independence referendum.
Property developer Alan Massie suggested he could splash the cash to help any election candidate that can keep out Nicola Sturgeon’s party – whether they are Conservative, Labour or Liberal Democrat.
But his strategy to “protect the Union” could prove highly controversial after the P&J learned that Mr Massie recently switched his official residence from Aberdeen to an overseas tax haven.
The 52-year-old director of Carlton Rock, who now lives in Jersey, was one of Labour’s top private donors between 2011 and 2016, and has also previously backed the Lib Dems in Aberdeen.
Last week, he revealed in The Times that he had sponsored a fringe event at the Scottish Conservative conference in Aberdeen because he had quit Labour.
Mr Massie, who also wants to see Brexit delivered, made three donations worth a total of £20,000 to an Aberdeen Lib Dem branch in 2006 and 2007, while the party was in administration at the city council.
Since then, he donated more than £400,000 in total between 2011 and 2016 to Labour, including to Jim Murphy, Kezia Dugdale, Richard Baker and Caroline Flint.
Mr Massie is understood to have switched his official residence from Aberdeen to Jersey in 2016, but his company is still based in the UK, and he still has a house in Aberdeen.
People cannot donate to a political party unless they are on the electoral roll, but those who are resident abroad for tax purposes can still provide funding because they can register as an overseas voter for up to 15 years after leaving Britain.
Mr Massie, who also wants to see Brexit delivered, made three donations worth a total of £20,000 to an Aberdeen Lib Dem branch in 2006 and 2007, while the party was in administration at the city council.
Since then, he donated more than £400,000 in total between 2011 and 2016 to Labour, including to Jim Murphy, Kezia Dugdale, Richard Baker and Caroline Flint.
Mr Massie is understood to have switched his official residence from Aberdeen to Jersey in 2016, but his company is still based in the UK, and he still has a house in Aberdeen.
People cannot donate to a political party unless they are on the electoral roll, but those who are resident abroad for tax purposes can still provide funding because they can register as an overseas voter for up to 15 years after leaving Britain.
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This should be investigated further. For example is he even on the electoral roll at all, and exact dates of donations quoted?
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