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Topic Started: Jul 31 2013, 01:06 PM (1,933 Views)
becky sharp
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I heard Mr Cruddas speaking about this at lunchtime and he sounded very hurt (with good reason imo) with the way the Conservative Party had treated him over this and I must say 2 hours seems a remarkably short period of time before you 'disown' somebody without hearing all the facts.

He said he would comment further when he gets back from a 2 week holiday

(How long did Mr Cameron try to hold on to Liam Fox?)

Ex-Tory treasurer Cruddas wins £180,000 libel damages

Former Conservative co-treasurer Peter Cruddas has won £180,000 libel damages over Sunday Times allegations about charging to meet David Cameron.

The High Court in London also ordered the newspaper to pay £500,000 in costs.

The businessman, 59, complained that the articles in March last year suggested he had corruptly offered the chance to gain unfair advantage through secret meetings with the PM.

Mr Cruddas resigned after the reports appeared in the newspaper.

After his High Court victory, Mr Cruddas said his "good name had been restored" and accused the Conservative leadership of disowning him after the articles were published.

"My world was turned upside-down when that article was published," he said.

"I remember vividly having to walk into my offices the day after the article was published and face 500 of my staff, many of whom had a clip of the Sunday Times interview on their video screens. It was humiliating.
'Outcast'

"The Conservative Party cut me off within two hours of the story breaking and did not want to hear my side of the story.

"I was constructively dismissed from my role as party treasurer and made to feel like an outcast as the prime minister and the party lined up to criticise me on television and radio.

"This hurt me immensely and further damaged my reputation."

A Conservative Party spokesman said it was pleased Mr Cruddas had won the case and had "put this matter to rest".

"He was right to take the steps he has in order to put beyond doubt any question of impropriety. We are very appreciative of everything Peter has done for the party."

Mr Cruddas, who before becoming treasurer was one of the party's leading donors, also succeeded in his claim for malicious falsehood against the newspaper but no separate damages award was made in respect of that today.

The Electoral Commission dismissed calls for an inquiry into the allegations last year, stating that there was no evidence that the law on donations had been breached.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-23517977
Edited by becky sharp, Jul 31 2013, 01:08 PM.
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tafkaj

Yesterday's Times carried a small article stating that David Cameron has apologised for his hasty disowning of Mr Cruddas and has admitted that it was wrong of him to be so condemnatory after hearing just a single media report on the issue ...

And these people are supposed to have had the best education available in the world and be fit to lead us ... <steam> <brickwall>
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dai Cottomy
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" Of course I feel jolly rotten about old Crudders, but after all he's not one of us is he? I mean his guv'nor was a porter in Billingsgate or somewhere, and he went to a grotty comprehensive in Hackney. I know he's totally rolling in the old folding stuff and all that, but 'money maketh not the man', as what's- his- name said. Any way I think that I'll make old Spotty Featherstone the next Tory Treasurer. You remember Spotty? He threw his trousers into the Serpentine on Bonfire Night 1989."
Edited by dai Cottomy, Aug 10 2013, 07:17 PM.
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Caro

The trouble is if you don't immediately respond to this sort of allegation, then you are accused of cover-ups and trying to hide the truth and protect your political friends. You want to look pro-active these days.

Why was the Sunday Times making unfounded allegations? These donation laws cause immeasureably problems, don't they? We have had various controversies and scandals over them here. The Destiny Church tried to fund one party secretly, and NZers aren't keen on mixing religion and politics, so that didn't go down well. And our continuing Kim Dotcom business involved a politician from a very minor party (but vital at times for propping up the government) 'not remembering' that he had been flown in by helicopter to Mr Dotcom's huge gated mansion and given money.

I'm not sure what a co-treasurer is. Isn't the Treasurer the equivalent to our Finance Minister? The response here tends to be to immediately strip people of their ministerial duties while an enquiry takes place, or till the heat cools down (for instance after a drink-driving charge) and they can be reinstated. But treasurers and money accusations are probably in a different realm.
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waiting4atickle
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Mr Cruddas was co-treasurer of the Conservative party, Caro - nothing to do with the Treasury.

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Caro

Oh, thanks for that elucidation, w4at.
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caissier
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Peter Cruddas discusses access to the top echelons in return for donations to the Tory Party .......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URChKXTLkA8
Edited by caissier, Aug 12 2013, 09:46 AM.
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