Our investigative reporter Nick Lawrence has put together a special report on how the Midlands Industrial Council operates and how the introduction of American-style professional political campaigning appears to be at the root of how it likes to spend its money.
The follow is a list of the MIC members...
Sir Anthony Bamford
Sir Anthony is the Chairman of the world famous digger company JCB, which has its headquarters at Rochester in Staffordshire. He is President of the Midlands Industrial Council. In September David Cameron was garlanded with flowers as he joined Sir Anthony to open a new £25m JCB factory in India. The links between JCB and the Conservative party go back many years. He is also a supporter of the Tax Payers Alliance. He was knighted in 1990.
Bob Edmiston
Bob Edmiston is founder of the hugely successful IM Group which is based in West Bromwich and imports cars from the Far East. IM also has a large property portfolio which includes Coleshill Manor, the base for Coleshill Campaigning Services. Mr Edmiston is the Chairman of the MIC. He also finances Christian Vision, a non-profit charitable company. Mr Edmiston has also given £4m to city academy schools projects in Solihull and Coventry.
Steve Hollis
Mr Hollis is head of UK and Europe, Middle East and Africa markets at the accountancy firm KPMG and is a member of the firm's UK board. Accountancy Age describe him as "one of 22 senior figures who advise chief executive John Griffith-Jones on the firm's strategy".
George Campion
George Campion is a senior tax partner in Deloitte's Birmingham office. According to the company website he works "extensively in the area of real estate transactions analysing both the corporation tax and commercial implications. His clients include large multinational groups".
J Brian Pettifer
J Brian Pettifer is Chairman and Chief Executive of the Pettifer Group. This organisation was formed in 1955 and, still in private ownership, is a major force in property development, construction, consultancy and web based applications. It employs in the region of 300 staff, operating throughout the UK. Subsidiary companies operate from London (Mayfair and Clerkenwell), Solihull, Manchester, Leeds and Glasgow. He is a supporter of TaxPayers Alliance.
Tony Gallagher
Tony Gallagher is Chairman of Gallagher UK. Gallagher Developments is the group's commercial property development and investment arm. Gallagher Estates is the residential arm. Gallagher is a private company with substantial cash-reserves and no borrowings, according to the company's website. "This, together with an extensive development programme and land bank, places Gallagher in a relatively unique position in the Development Industry".
Roy Richardson
Roy Richardson, with his twin brother Don, is the man behind the highly successful Richardson Developments real estate company. Proud of their Black Country roots they developed the Merry Hill hopping centre in the 1980s and Birmingham's Star City leisure complex. His brother and he have made no secret of making loans, and in April told the BBC he made donations to Labour and the Conservatives "to give the region a stronger voice with those in power".
Keith Bradshaw
Keith Bradshaw is an accountant and non-executive chairman of the Wolverhampton-based property group Nurton Developments. Established a number of private companies, the foremost of which, BP Nursing Homes Ltd, became Takare PLC/Care First Group PLC, which was sold to BUPA in January 1998 for approximately £300m. Other business interests include Listers of Coventry and Urbancube.
John Butcher
John Butcher was formerly the Conservative MP for Coventry South West from 1979 until 1997 until the seat disappeared due to boundary changes. He served as a minister for education and science, consumer affairs, and trade and industry.
R.E.L Smith
Richard Smith is the Managing Director of H.R.Smith Group, which is based at Leominster in Herefordshire. The group includes the company Techtest. Products include a range of hi-tech radio and electrical equipment used in search and rescue.
Chris Kelly
Chris Kelly is based in West Bromwich. He formed Keltruck Limited in 1983. The company employs around 500 people. He is one of three Vice Chairmen of the MIC. He is also open about his political views. He is on the list of business supporters of Open Europe and is on the Business Council of the TaxPayers Alliance. His website also features a photograph of Mr Kelly with his son Chris and Margaret Thatcher.
James and John Leavesley
James and John Leavesley, are based at Alrewas in Staffordshire. The family-run Leavesley Group dates back to 1919. The group has grown and diversified into a number of sectors. These include property and agricultural activities, surplus equipment, machinery and vehicle sales, shipping containers, petrol retailing and farm quality assurance and inspection. John Leavesley is also a supporter of the TaxPayers Alliance, which lobbies the Government to reduce taxes.
Lowe & Fletcher Ltd
Lowe & Fletcher Ltd is a corporate member of the MIC. From a small locksmith's shop founded in Willenhall, in the Black Country in 1889, the Lowe and Fletcher and Euro-locks Group has grown into a world-leading specialist in the design and manufacture of locking, says the company website. Now based in Wednesbury it also has factories in Europe and the United States.
Peter Shirley
Peter Shirley is the owner and Managing Director of Midland Chilled Foods. The company began in 1976 at Willenhall in the Black Country. It now comprises three companies, Midland Chilled Foods Ltd., Midland Pie Products Ltd. and Midland Food Group Ltd, has a turnover well in excess of £35m and employs nearly 200 people. It recently opened a new factory in Basingstoke and supports the TaxPayers Alliance.
David Wall
David Wall is the Secretary of the Midlands Industrial Council. Mr Wall is a director within the IM Group, which is owned by Bob Edmiston.
R. Robinson
Robert Robinson, founder of the Warwickshire firm of Robinsons
. Kambiz Jaberi
Kambiz Jaberi is chairman and Managing Director of Karins Catering Group of Bilston. They supply food to 14 airports. Clients include British Airways CitiExpress, Flybe, Alpha Catering Services, Gate Gourmet International, Citynet Catering, First Choice Airways & West Midlands Police. Most popular sandwich: Roast Chicken on Poppy bread. Mr Jaberi was involved in the Vote No campaign against the UK signing the European Constitution and supports TaxPayers Alliance.
Tessa Miller & Michael Miller
Michael Miller is Chairman of the Harris & Sheldon Group Ltd which has wide-ranging interests including automotive component manufacturing and fishing tackle manufacturing. The company is based at Packington Park, Meriden, near Coventry. Michael Miller has been involved with both the TaxPayers Alliance and Vote No to the EU Constitution campaigns.
Graham Hampson Silk
Graham Hampson Silk sold his stake in Wolverhampton and Blackpool airports for £15m. He was previously involved in the film industry and was credited as executive producer of children's fantasy movie Rainbow and British comedies The Sea Change and Shooting Fish. He was named as the "one to watch", in a business industry profile in 2001 which added: "his day job is at Hampson Industries, a group of aerospace engineering businesses with annual turnover approaching £100m".
Constantine Folkes
Constantine Folkes is the Chairman and Chief Executive of Folkes Holdings. Folkes Holdings has engineering and real estate interests. His company is one of the largest commercial landlords in the Black Country and also has real estate interests in South Africa. The company's engineering operations are conducted at Somers Forge in Halesowen. Folkes Holdings went private in 2003 and is now 91% owned by Constantine Folkes. The company traces its origins to an 18th Century blacksmith shop in Lye. Mr Folkes supports the TaxPayers Alliance.
In addition the Politics Show has confirmed three other people as previous members of the Midlands Industrial Council.
Sir Eric Pountain
He died at the age of 70 in 2003. He built Tarmac into one of the UK's biggest housebuilders. Born in Cannock Chase he went to school in Walsall. He is credited with coming up with the idea of the "show home" to sell properties on new estates. In the 1980s Tarmac was a prominent donor to the Conservative party. Was also chairman later of IMI Metals. He was knighted in 1985.
Gareth Davies
Former chairman of Glynwed International, which is most famous for its Aga kitchen products. Mr Davies retired after 40 years service with the company in the late 1990s. Glowing tributes by colleagues described his contribution to the business as "immense".
Gary Allen
Mr Allen succeeded Sir Eric Pountain as the chairman of IMI Metals. He joined the company in 1965, became Chief Exec in 1986 and Chairman in 2001. He was awarded the CBE in 1991. He retired from IMI in 2004.
Find out who received what here...
Read an analysis of the cash distribution here...
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