Clegg denies wrongdoing over donations
By Sam Dale
Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg has hit out at reports that he misused donations to his party.
He says newspaper suggestions that regular political donations paid into his personal bank account are “irregular” are incorrect.
He said: “Any suggestion I’ve done wrong are out of order and I’m going to publish the figures to prove it.”
Mr Clegg said the articles published in Conservative-leaning newspapers were a deliberate attack on him and his party.
He said: “A lot of people want to stop change.”
The Daily Telegraph has reported three businessmen each paid £250 a month each to the Liberal Democrat leader during 2006.
All three businessmen; Ian Wright, senior executive at drinks firm Diageo; Neil Sherlock, public affairs chief at KPMG; and Michael Young, former gold mining executive, are registered party donors.
Sir Alistair Graham, former chairman of the committee of standards in public life, described the arrangement as “irregular”.
“Given that he’s been very holier than thou about these things, it would seem he has some explaining to do to his party and the electorate,” Sir Alistair said.
“One would expect donations to be paid into a party account – that would be the most straightforward arrangement. It would now make sense for someone independent to check these accounts.”
A party spokesman denied any improper use of the money and said the funds were used to pay a researcher’s salary and not for Mr Clegg’s personal use: “The donations were properly made and declared and were used to fund part of the salary of an additional member of Nick Clegg’s parliamentary staff.”
The Telegraph reports that Mr Clegg was the party’s home affairs spokesman when the payments were made.
And the Liberal Democrat leader faces further questions over the money he received while working for the EU, which the Times claims totalled £1.65million in ten years.
He spent ten years working in Brussels – five as an MEP and five working for the European Commission.
The Times puts Mr Clegg’s MEP’s wage at ?484,883 a year and Open Europe reports he claimed more ?1 million in travel, office and subsistence allowances.
A spokesman for the leader said: “The expenses system in the European Parliament was utterly different from the one in Westminster.
“Nick Clegg used the per diem lump sum exactly as it was intended – to work in three different places. The mortgage for their home in Brussels was paid out of Nick and Miriam’s private income.”
