British Prime Minister Responds to Cash-For-Access Accusation - East Idaho News
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British Prime Minister Responds to Cash-For-Access Accusation

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GETTY 030912 Cameron1?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1332843692459NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images(LONDON) — British Prime Minister David Cameron defended himself and his party from a widening cash-for-access scandal on Monday after his chief fundraiser was caught on camera promising private dinners and possible policy changes in exchange for donations.

Cameron promised stricter fundraising rules and released the names of donors who he had hosted at dinners in his private residence — an attempt to argue “he has nothing to hide” after the opposition Labour party charged that British “policy is for sale” under the prime minister.

The Sunday Times newspaper had posted a video on its website Sunday showing Conservative Party co-treasurer Peter Cruddas talking with Times reporters who were posing as would-be overseas donors while also secretly filming the meeting.

“Two hundred grand to 250 is Premiere League… what you get is, when we talk about your donations, the first thing we want to do is get you at the Cameron/Osborne dinners,” Cruddas told the reporters, referring to a sum equivalent of about $400,000, and to dinners with Cameron and Treasury chief George Osborne.

Once inside those dinners, he continued, the would-be donors could ask “practically any question you want… If you’re unhappy about something, we will listen to you and put it into the policy committee at No. 10 [the prime minister’s office and residence]… It will be awesome for your business.  You’ll be well placed.”

Cruddas resigned just before The Sunday Times posted the video.

Cameron and his allies argue that Cruddas was “boasting” and offering access that he could not actually deliver.

In a speech Monday, Cameron defended himself from withering criticism, saying he had done nothing wrong.

“In the two years I have been prime minister, there have been three occasions on which significant donors have come to a dinner in my flat.  In addition, there was a further post-election dinner which included donors in Downing Street itself shortly after the general election,” he said during a speech that was supposed to focus on dementia research.  “None of these dinners were fundraising dinners and none of these dinners were paid for by the taxpayer.  I have known most of those attending for many years.”

Cameron also promised to tighten rules restricting when donors are allowed to offer advice on policy and to limit individual political donations to $79,000.

His allies continued to argue that access for donors does not equate to policy change — and that Cruddas was not following party rules.  Cruddas had only held his post, they said, for a month before he resigned.

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

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