15. Letter to the Commissioner from
Rt Hon Jack Straw MP, 26 November 2008
Thank you for your further letter of 17 November
regarding Mr Ben Wallace MP's further letter to you of 11 November.
I have little to add to my earlier letter.
I have been very clear in accepting in my earlier
letters that the Canatxx sponsorship of the dinner in April 2004
should have been declared on the Register.
Other than the Canatxx sponsorship, however, no sums
received for tickets to the event exceeded the threshold for declaration
set by the Electoral Commission or the threshold for registration
as sponsorship on the Register of Members Interests.
I do not dispute that the majority of the cheques
for the event were paid into the Blackburn Labour party account
or that the local party arranged the event. I have said so in
my earlier correspondence. However, the nature of the event was
entirely non-political — and indeed it made a loss which
I met from my own pocket.
It is worth reiterating that all money received for
tickets and other sponsorship was used to meet the costs of the
event.
Mr Wallace says Lord Taylor has made donations to
me. Any donations from Lord Taylor have been registered with the
Register of Members' Interests and the Electoral Commission.
I do not doubt that Mr Volter attended the event,
though I have no recollection of speaking to him. As I have said
previously, I have never had any involvement in Canatxx's business.
Mr Wallace concludes by saying that there is a contradiction
between my statement that I have had no connection with Canatxx
before the dinner or since and my association with Lord Taylor.
There is no contradiction at all: Lord Taylor is a long-standing
friend and colleague of mine, but I have never had any dealings
with Canatxx's business.
26 November 2008
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