THE GUARDIAN: Liberal Democrats say Tories' financial dependence on bankers has quadrupled under David Cameron
Nick Clegg will today accuse the Tories of being "completely in hock to the City" as he says the party has quadrupled its dependence on funding from the sector since David Cameron became leader.
Figures produced by the Liberal Democrats today show the Tories have raised more than £15m from companies and individuals connected to the City since Cameron was elected leader in 2005.
The party accepted just £3.9m from the City between 2001 and Cameron becoming leader. Half of the City donors were not recorded donors before then.
Ten percent of the Tory candidates in the coming election are bankers or have worked in the sector, compared with 1.5% of the country as a whole. >>> Patrick Wintour | Monday, May 03, 2010
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: The U.K.'s Conservatives are bashing banks in public. Behind the scenes, though, they're striking a more conciliatory tone with London's financial community.
George Osborne, the Conservatives' candidate to become Chancellor of the Exchequer, has been reaching out to top U.K. bankers to assure them that, despite the party's populist rhetoric, a Conservative government won't declare war on banks, according to people who have heard his pitch. >>> David Enrich and Alistair MacDonald | Monday, May 03, 2010
After bailout, the Barclays Bank Chief’s pay? £63m! And I bet the man's worth every penny! – Mark
