THERESA May’s big Burns Supper has been rocked by allegations of cash for access, with claims the Downing Street celebration was more haggis, creeps and patsies than haggis neeps and tatties.
The SNP say the Prime Minister used No 10’s celebration of the Bard to wine and dine “Tory cronies with the deepest pockets”. Around 39 “guests from all walks of life” were invited to join the Prime Minister and the Scottish Secretary David Mundell on Monday to celebrate the “enduring Union”.
Among those attending were business owners and representatives from charities and the arts. They included teacake magnate Boyd Tunnock; Liz Cameron from the Scottish Chambers of Commerce; social entrepreneur Josh Littlejohn; Standard Life chief executive Keith Skeoch; and Jim McColl of Clyde Blowers. When it came to MPs, only the 13 Scottish Tories received invites, with the SNP and Labour telling The National they hadn’t been asked along.
Among the guests were some big-spending Tory donors, including Henry Angest. The Swiss banker with connections to a payday loans company has personally donated more than £13 million to the party in recent years. His company, Flowidea, has donated a further £2.6m. His last donation, according to the Electoral Commission was for £2000 to help the Tories in Perth, where he owns Ashmore estate under the name of Rora Investments Ltd, a company registered in Jersey.
Angest was also a funder of Atlantic Bridge, the charity that funded Adam Werrity’s excursions around the world with disgraced former defence secretary Liam Fox, now May’s International Trade Secretary.
Also at the bash was James Stewart, a private equity investor, and the Scottish Tory treasurer. According to the Electoral Commission, he has given the party more than £400,000 in recent years.
Celtic chairman and Better Together supporter Ian Bankier was also in attendance, much to the annoyance of some of the club’s fans.
SNP MP Tommy Sheppard said: “Clearly the cash for access culture is still alive and well in Theresa May’s Downing Street – with top Tory donors continuing to get privileged access to the PM. Henry Angest has bankrolled the Tory party for years, and enjoyed a cosy relationship with successive prime ministers in return – from the notorious kitchen suppers at No 10 to a knighthood after the 2015 election.
“Sadly the Tory cronies with the deepest pockets still rule the roost and have far more influence over the Prime Minister than should ever be acceptable in a democracy. It’s yet another case in point, proving that this Tory Government is rotten to its core and puts the narrow interests of the wealthy first and foremost.”
A No 10 spokesperson said: “We had a great event celebrating the life and work of one of the UK’s most iconic writers with guests from all walks of life. They included some of our excellent Scottish Conservative MPs who are doing a brilliant job of delivering for Scotland and their constituents.”
Embarrassingly, in a list of the guests sent to the media, May’s officials managed to spell many of names wrong. West Aberdeenshire MP Andrew Bowie was down as Bowies, Banff and Buchan MP David Duguid was renamed Dugauid, and Josh Littlejohn was “John”.
Keith Skeoch’s name was misspelled as Sceogh, the Scottish Rugby Union was called the the “Scottish RFU”, and the Scotch Whisky Association the Scottish Whisky Association.
Controversially, the dinner demoted the usual haggis, neeps and tatties from mains to starter.
Instead, May and her guests dined on pan-seared loin of Highland venison, raw spiced and caramelised cauliflower, oats and nuts, salsify, brambles, game chips and venison reduction. The haggis came “crispy” with “mashed tatties, roasted neeps with red onion, Ayrshire bacon relish and a whisky Scotch broth sauce”. The meal, served in the state dining room was prepared by Gary Maclean, the Glasgow-based winner of MasterChef: The Professionals.
It’s understood Mundell addressed the crispy haggis.
Speaking ahead of the night, the Prime Minister said: “Scotland is a greatly valued part of our United Kingdom and its contribution to the UK is immense – economically, socially, and culturally. And Robert Burns is a great example of that, as one of our finest poets. I’m very much looking forward to this evening and the chance to celebrate a great poet, a great nation and an enduring Union.”
Rabbie Burns, of course, was deeply anti-Union.
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