i) CAMPAIGN
ELECTION DONATIONS
634. The cheque for £5,319
received by Sir Andrew Bowden from Mr Greer has already
been examined[296]
in the context of allegations relating to payments for lobbying
services. But it also raises registration issues because of the
rule relating to sponsorships which requires the declaration of
contributions to election expenses above a certain limit. The
requirement is triggered where "to the knowledge of the Member
the sponsorship in any case exceeds 25 per cent of [his] election
expenses".
635. In Sir Andrew's
case the allegation is that the cheque for £5,319 was plainly
intended to help defray his election expenses and that since it
breached the 25 per cent limit (it was actually more than
Sir Andrew's total declared expenses of £4,426)[297]
it should have been registered.[298]
636. It was also alleged
in the book Sleaze that Sir Andrew had breached
his statutorily permitted election expenditure limit if the £5,319
was included in the total - as, it was argued, it should be.
This is, however, a matter for the appropriate legal authorities,
not this inquiry, to pursue.
637. The evidence for regarding
the cheque for £5,319 as a contribution to election expenses
is that:
- it
was, according to Mr Greer,[299]
clearly solicited from him by Sir Andrew in the context
of an impending general election in which Sir Andrew was
not confident of holding his seat; indeed, Sir Andrew had
said that in the light of the poor state of his local association's
finances, a donation from Mr Greer "was absolutely vital";
- the
offer was on the table by around the end of March or early April
1987, only a little over two months before the general election
and four to five weeks before the official campaign began;
- the
fact that the cheque was actually paid some time later, after
the general election, is irrelevant, since its purpose was to
cover expenditure incurred before the election;
638. Sir Andrew explained
that the equipment purchased with Mr Greer's donation was "needed
in the context of running the local party". The cheque for
£5,319 was therefore not "a contribution of money ...
to be spent during the four week election campaign itself but
[was] to meet expenses and costs that were met and accrued before
the election campaign started". Sir Andrew added,
of the 1997 pre-election period: "... at this moment, I and
my association are spending considerable sums of money before
the [...] campaign begins on a whole range of things, supplies,
leaflets. None of this has to be declared or is part of my election
expenses, which will not commence until the beginning of the [...]
campaign".[300]
(ii) LECTURE
FEES
639. In his statement to
the inquiry,[301]
Sir Andrew disclosed that between 1986 and 1988 he had
received payments totalling between £500 and £1,000
from Mr Greer in return for lectures he had given to clients and
staff of IGA. There is a reference to a sum of £1,000 in
Mr Greer's schedule of election donations to candidates in 1987
and, although the recipient is not identified, this payment seems
to be linked to the £5,319.
640. Sir Andrew's
entry in the Register published in January 1987 contained a reference,
under the category of "Trades or Professions" to "Lecturing
and Broadcasting". A similar declaration appeared in the
Registers published in December 1987 and January 1989 (there being
no separate 1988 Register because of the timing of the 1987 general
election). There was no indication of the source of the payments
under this heading and no entry recording single payments in the
"Financial Sponsorship" category.
641. Sir Andrew indicated
in his oral evidence[302]
that he regarded these payments as "nominal sums for one-off
situations where [Mr Greer] had asked me to come and talk to his
staff or clients".
281 See
Appendix 60. Back
282 See
Appendix 60. Back
283 The
balance of £6,746.05 was paid to Mr Hamilton by cheque dated
13 July 1989 (it was paid into Mr Hamilton's Special Reserve account
on 17 July 1989); the balance of £2,000 was paid to Mr Brown
on 3 August 1989. Back
284 See
para 604. Back
285 Q
2181. Back
286 See
Appendix 33, paras 756 to 764 (Mr Hamilton's explanation was that
Mr Greer wanted to "clear his books" (see para 498). Back
287 Sleaze,
p 133. Back
288 See
Appendix 105. Back
289 See
Appendix 41. Back
290 See
Appendix 58. Back
291 See
para 239. Back
292 See
paras 307-343. Back
293 See
Appendix 42. Back
294 See
paras 312-325. Back
295 Q
1118. Back
296 See
paras 296-306. Back
297 Q
1195. Back
298 Allegations
of a similar nature against a large number of other Members are
examined later in the report (see paras 720-737). Back
299 Q
1392-3. Back
300 Q
1204. Back
301 Q
1196. Back
302 Q
1214-5. Back
