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Solicitor drawn into Hain donation row

11:41am Tuesday 15th January 2008

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A solicitor from Chorleywood has been drawn into row over controversial donations given to a senior cabinet minister.

Work and Pensions Secretary Peter Hain faces the possibility of a police investigation after it emerged last week that he failed to declare £103,000 in donations in his bid to become deputy leader of the Labour Party.

More than £26,000 of the money was channelled to Mr Hain through the Progressive Policies Forum (PPF), a company purporting to be a left-wing think tank.

However, in the 13 months since its incorporation in December 2006 the company has produced no reports and held no conferences.

Documents lodged at Companies House confirm that the organisation is a limited company, but only lists one shareholder - Gregory McEwen, of Chorleywood. Mr McEwen holds the company's single share, worth £1. His links to Mr Hain are unclear.

An investigation is currently being conducted by the Electoral Commission and the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner John Lyon.

Mr McEwen, of law firm McEwen Parkinson solicitors, has, so far, been unavailable for comment.

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Your Say YourWatford Observer

Chris P Duck, Watford says...
11:59am Tue 15 Jan 08

The LABOUR PARTY non corrupt, honest, looks after English people or maybe not !.

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Toe Knee B Liar, JP Morgan says...
4:04pm Tue 15 Jan 08

What kind of political idiot lavishes nearly £200,000 on a campaign for a non-post that isn't even worth a bucket of warm spit - and then comes fifth out of a field of six?

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Roy Stockdill, says...
4:30pm Tue 15 Jan 08

The general theory appears to be that he planned to use the deputy leadership as a base from which to challenge Gordon Brown for the leadership and prime minister's job. Fortunately, he has been exposed as the dodgy character he is and we can think ourselves lucky at having had a narrow escape. I believe Hain and the other Peter, Mandelson, are soon to quit politics and go into business together as second-hand car dealers and importers of illegal refugees.

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Arthur Daly, Watford says...
8:47pm Tue 15 Jan 08

Roy Stockdill wrote:
The general theory appears to be that he planned to use the deputy leadership as a base from which to challenge Gordon Brown for the leadership and prime minister's job. Fortunately, he has been exposed as the dodgy character he is and we can think ourselves lucky at having had a narrow escape. I believe Hain and the other Peter, Mandelson, are soon to quit politics and go into business together as second-hand car dealers and importers of illegal refugees.
Every one knows that "retired" journalsts are only there to make second hand car dealers look good. So much for the pecking order

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Roy Stockdill, says...
12:42pm Wed 16 Jan 08

This retired journalist has certainly never conned more than one hundred grand out of anyone or sold a dodgy car! The fact is that people like Hain and Mandelson are corrupt and should be booted out of politics. Unfortunately, they are almost certainly just the tip of the iceberg. And shouldn't you remember that had it not been for journalists and the press, none of this would ever have come out? The media is virtually the only Opposition to New Labour because the witless Tories certainly aren't.

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