'Least successful fundraiser' as Brown bankrupts both country and party

Gordon Brown's pre-election fundraiser in Glasgow should go down as Labour's least successful fundraiser in history, says the SNP.

SNP group leader on Glasgow City Council James Dornan today claimed that former PM Gordon Brown had "managed to bankrupt the Labour party, not just Britain".

While some donations believed to cover the cost of tables have appeared there is no evidence of the money raised at the auction for goods including a Peter Howson painting or a holiday at Willie Haughey's luxury villa in Florida and no declaration of those goods being donated.

Labour has already been forced to repay donations by Glasgow Council company City Building.

The SNP is demanding to know why a range of reported donations are not Registered including: -

• The value of auction prizes and the money paid for them including the value and money bid for a Peter Howson painting - one report describes the audience "digging deep" for this item
  
• The value and money bid for a two week holiday at Willie Haughey's Florida villa .
• Any donations made at the event either individually or cumulatively over £1,500 or any goods valued at over £1,500 that were raffled or auctioned.

Glasgow SNP Council group leader James Dornan said: "Last week John Prescott told the Scottish Parliament Festival of Politics that Labour were £20 million in debt, its membership was falling dramatically, and they were struggling to raise funds for the 2011 elections.

"Today it is confirmed that Scottish Labour held a gala fundraising dinner that raised no money.

"It is becoming increasingly clear that Gordon Brown not just bankrupted Britain, he's taken the Labour party to the edge as well.

"The Glasgow gala fundraiser is looking like the least successful fundraising event ever. It brought in no money and it brought down Labour's rising star."

Cllr Dornan added: "This was advertised as a Scottish Labour event and that means all donations over £1,500 must be registered.  Why are none of the auction prizes registered? Why are none of the auction bids registered? Either Labour made no money or they are trying to hide it.

"It has been claimed people "dug deep" at this dinner to fund Labour's election campaign.  In that case, where's the money?

"We know a Peter Howson painting donated by a former Labour MP was auctioned. And we know a two week holiday in Florida at a luxury villa was auctioned.

"None of these items are registered. In fact, there is no record of this event at all in Scottish Labour's donations.

"Labour came into office in 1997 promising to clean up party funding yet it looks like it is Labour's books that may have been cleaned."

1.        Details of donations in Q1 2010 and Q2 2010 can be found here and here.

2.        The Labour Party (Scottish Labour Party) is a separate accounting unit and must make its own declarations for donations over £1500

3.  The  Sunday Times reported the following from the dinner at the Glasgow Hilton on 25th February

"As ever, there were car dealers, property developers and nightclub owners who traditionally bankroll the party and they were in spending mood, one digging deep for works by the artist Peter Howson, donated by Jimmy Wray, the former Labour MP for Glasgow, Baillieston. Other prizes up for auction included a Manchester United jersey signed by team manager Sir Alex Ferguson, a two-week holiday at a villa in Florida owned by Willie Haughey, one of the party's biggest business donors and a pamper package and champagne lunch at an exclusive club run by James Mortimer, a businessman."