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 Emma Udwin reports for BBC News"Another day of grim headlines for the Conservative party"  real 28k  |
MP rapped over Ashcroft links
Michael Ashcroft: Multi-millionaire tax exile |
The controversial Tory party treasurer Michael Ashcroft continues to cast a shadow over the party as the Commons standards committee has issued a mild rebuke to a senior Tory MP over his business links with the billionaire.
The ruling by the Standards and Privileges Committee came after Mr Ashcroft issued his first public statement on the latest allegations made about him by the The Times newspaper.
The newspaper says Mr Ashcroft was engaged in both money laundering and drug smuggling.
Writing in The Independent, Mr Ashcroft said he would not allow a political row over his donations to the Conservative Party to force him from his post.
He is currently engaged in libel proceedings against The Times.
Standards ruling
Bowen Wells received a mild rebuke |
But he he was found not to have indulged in paid political advocacy.
Mr Wells is the chair of the influential Commons International Development Committee.
The standards committee responded after complaints by two Labour MPs, Denis MacShane and Alan Whitehead.
They said Mr Wells should have mentioned the directorship during discussions by the development committee on the Lome Convention trade talks which related to banana growers in the Caribbean.
In his complaint, Dr Whitehead said that the growers in Belize had at that time a number of outstanding loans owing to the Belize Bank and any attempt to "cap" banana imports into the EU could have a direct affect on those debts.
Members' interests
Elizabeth Filkin said Mr Bowen was only slightly at fault |
But she added: "Mr Wells would, however, have been wise, both in private session when the committee decided to consider the Lome Convention and publicly when the committee took evidence from the banana producers, to declare the possible connection of BHI, through its principal subsidiary the Belize Bank, with the banana industry."
The ruling comes as Labour MP John Cryer has called for a Commons debate on the funding of political parties in the wake of the row over Mr Ashcroft.
Mr Cryer said: "This place desperately needs a debate on the funding of political parties ... so that the relevant questions can be asked about the clearly scandalous state of funding of the Conservative Party."
Michael Aschroft lives in tax exile in Belize |
"I am not going to quit my post as Conservative Party treasurer. I am honoured to hold the post and I will continue working for the party," he said.
"My private life and career have been crawled over, but those seeking to vilify me have found nothing to support their allegations that I am a drug-runner and a money launderer," he said.
"The worst allegation that has been proven against me is that I set up an offshore centre in Belize that might - note might, not has been or is - have been used for money laundering.
"Not the slightest bit of evidence has been found, however, to support this theory. That is because there is none."
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16 Jul 99 | UK Politics |
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Ashcroft: The Tories' troublesome tycoon |
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24 Nov 99 | UK Politics |
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The rules on foreign cash |
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24 Nov 99 | UK Politics |
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Tory: Ashcroft must go |
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24 Nov 99 | UK Politics |
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Tory donation row turns nasty |
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