The Osbourne scandal

[Moscow Mule]

The fact that these sort of meetings go on at all disgusts me.

Why? Governments are responsible for attracting investment to the country - how else are they supposed to achieve that without meeting business leaders?

Just because the bloke is Russian, doesn't make him a crook.

[ace00]

I beleive wasting police time is a criminal offence:

In a shock statement the Prime Minister told a packed Commons that the "authorities" should look into this "very serious matter."

George Osborne, the Shadow Chancellor, has admitted £50,000 was offered to the party by Leyland Daf, which is owned by Oleg Deripaska, Russia's richest man, but the offer was rejected. Mr Osborne believes he has no case to answer and has done nothing wrong as the donation was turned down.

But the Prime Minister said: "This is a very serious matter and I hope it is investigated by the authorities."

It is legal to take money from a British company but not from an individual who does not appear on the UK electoral roll.

[Cyberman]

I think its all a clever NL plot and Lord Mandy of The Darkness knew exactly what he was doing spinning Osborne those lines about Brown. And 2 months later, hey presto, it's all backfired in the Tories faces. A sort of welcoming back present from Lord Mandy if you like.

I detect a New Lie cover-up by defaming the opposition. It's only a matter of time before we find out why. Mandelson definitely has his grubby sleazy paws all over this.

[Bagpuss]

I detect a New Lie cover-up by defaming the opposition. It's only a matter of time before we find out why. Mandelson definitely has his grubby sleazy paws all over this.

Maybe it's Osbourne, he looks like one

[TimberWolf]

I detect a New Lie cover-up by defaming the opposition. It's only a matter of time before we find out why. Mandelson definitely has his grubby sleazy paws all over this.

Is see titles/peerages/knighthoods have become so devalued in recent years that we don't bother writing them any more. I don't anyway.

[Cyberman]

I beleive wasting police time is a criminal offence:

In a shock statement the Prime Minister told a packed Commons that the "authorities" should look into this "very serious matter."

George Osborne, the Shadow Chancellor, has admitted £50,000 was offered to the party by Leyland Daf, which is owned by Oleg Deripaska, Russia's richest man, but the offer was rejected. Mr Osborne believes he has no case to answer and has done nothing wrong as the donation was turned down.

But the Prime Minister said: "This is a very serious matter and I hope it is investigated by the authorities."

It is legal to take money from a British company but not from an individual who does not appear on the UK electoral roll.

I bet many British registered companies owned by foreigners have donated to Labour. I don't see a problem with this anyway, as long as the company is making profits and paying taxes in the UK and is not just a 'money-laundering vehicle'.

If the money comes from the Company, it should not matter whether the owner is on the electoral register. That only applies to direct donations from individuals as far as I am aware.

[EternalOptimist]

I bet many British registered companies owned by foreigners have donated to Labour. I don't see a problem with this anyway, as long as the company is making profits and paying taxes in the UK and is not just a 'money-laundering vehicle'.

If the money comes from the Company, it should not matter whether the owner is on the electoral register. That only applies to direct donations from individuals as far as I am aware.

I disagree.
the whole thing is rotten and I for one will not be buying my aluminium from these gits any more

[AtW]

Just because the bloke is Russian, doesn't make him a crook.

He can't get US Visa despite his billions.

In his industry there were a lot of assassinations in the 90s - almost as many as in oil. So the question is why that guy survived and managed to obtain billions while the other people who tried to do that are dead?

Convervatives should break up all contact with all Russian oligarchs - some of the well known Cons are paid by oligarchs via their UK companies for "chairmanships" and other things.

[BrilloPad]

He can't get US Visa despite his billions.

In his industry there were a lot of assassinations in the 90s - almost as many as in oil. So the question is why that guy survived and managed to obtain billions while the other people who tried to do that are dead?

Convervatives should break up all contact with all Russian oligarchs - some of the well known Cons are paid by oligarchs via their UK companies for "chairmanships" and other things.

So because hes not dead he is crooked?

[AtW]

So because hes not dead he is crooked?

He is very rich in the industry where lots of his competitors ended up dead. It's a reasonable question that he explains how exactly he managed to survive and end up on the top rather than in the grave like all his key competitors.

More to the point - he can't get visa to the US due to alleged links to organised crime. There are not many rich people who can't get US visa, that alone should have promoted Osborne to avoid visiting his ship, in fact Cons frontbench can and should talk about investment, however it should not be done on private boats, they should do that during their normal work time. Same applies to Mandelson who I hope 3rd time around will end up in jail.