Tories embarrassed as list of backers contains flaws
TORIES were left red-faced yesterday after a letter aimed at showing party support from 5,000 small business owners was exposed as a Conservative Party campaign which included dozens of duplicated names and one company that denied signing it.
The letter, which warned that a change of government would be “far too risky” for business leaders’ liking, was billed as having been orchestrated by Tory small business ambassador Karren Brady and was printed in The Daily Telegraph. But metadata links to the list of names and companies showed it had been created by Conservative Campaign Headquarters.
The list included at least 50 duplicated names, with many repeated three times and one man – Michael Withers – listed as a signatory for four different firms. Conservative councillor Mark Hook was listed twice, under ELJ Furnishings and Gosport Borough Football Club, and signature number 4143 came from Graham Baker, chairman of the Stanley Ward Conservative Club. Some names on the list are, according to company checks, not owners or shareholders.
Software company Aurum Solutions asked for its name to be removed as it had not signed it.
Managing director Helen Belcher told City A.M. that the company’s sales director Steve O’Hehir was sent a letter from the Conservative Party and clicked on a link within it, but did not enter further details.
“We are a politically neutral company and this was in breach of company policy,” she said. “He clicked on a link and read it then got another email saying: ‘Thanks for your support.’”
Yesterday the Conservative Party played down the fact that the list came from party canvassing, saying: “Everyone whose name was published actively signed up to the letter on the Conservative Party’s website.”
Treasury minister David Gauke, who was challenged on the BBC’s Daily Politics show over whether the names had been checked, said: “Well I haven’t personally checked them.”