Conservative Councillors Fail To Declare Party Donation In Casino Vote (Twickenham & Richmond Liberal Democrats)

Conservative Councillors Fail To Declare Party Donation In Casino Vote

December 4, 2009 6:03 PM

casino • [Dec 04] CLLR Stephen Knight writes: Richmond Park Conservative Association accepted a donation of £10,000 from Casino operator Aspinalls in July this year, according to returns published by the Electoral Commission last week on 25th November. Their Parliamentary candidate Zac Goldsmith is known to be a regular gambler at the Knightsbridge-based Casino.

However at Tuesday night's Richmond Council meeting, at which the Council's policy on casinos was determined, no Richmond Conservative councillors declared a conflict of interest arising from having accepted such a large donation from a casino operator. Not even Cllr Pamela Fleming, who is Chair of Richmond Park Conservative Association, was willing to declare her conflict of interest, despite Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Stephen Knight raising the issue and inviting Conservative Councillors to declare their interest in relation to casino policy. The code of conduct for councillors specifically requires councillors to declare an interest at meetings where the matter under discussion relates to or is likely to affect any body that has made a political campaign donation.

Cllr Stephen Knight, Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader of the Council, who raised the issue at last night's Council meeting, said afterwards: "It is unacceptable that Conservative councillors failed to declare that they had accepted a large cash donation from a casino operator just months before voting on casino policy for the borough. This is just the sort of behaviour that breeds suspicion of sleaze amongst the public and brings councillors into disrepute."

• Extract from the Code Of Conduct For Councillors:

What is a 'Personal Interest'? - (1) You have a personal interest in any business of your authority where either-

(a) it relates to or is likely to affect-

. . (v) any person or body, other than a relevant authority, who has made a payment to you in respect of your election or any expenses incurred by you in carrying out your duties;

. . (viii) the interests of any person from whom you have received a gift or hospitality with an estimated value of at least £25;

. . Disclosure Of Personal Interests: - (1) Subject to sub-paragraphs (2) to (7), where you have a personal interest in any business of your authority and you attend a meeting of your authority at which the business is considered, you must disclose to that meeting the existence and nature of that interest at the commencement of that consideration, or when the interest becomes apparent.

Richmond upon Thames Liberal Democrats: