Sunday, March 21, 2010

Labour Party donor falls under the spotlight as questions arise about his business dealings with Labour controlled quango, Clyde Gateway
















Dear All

It seems that the people associated to the Glasgow Labour Party continue to attract interest, Willie Haughey in particular.

A quango run by one of former Glasgow City Council leader Steven Purcell’s ex-advisers paid Labour’s biggest Scottish donor, Willie Haughey almost £700,000 in a land deal.

Clyde Gateway Developments is another quango that has Labour Councillors on its board, four in fact.

Haughey has pumped £1.1 million to Labour since 2003.

And by sheer coincidence he has done quite well by the Labour Council in his dealings with them.

Clyde Gateway’s chief executive is Ian Manson, a former Purcell advisor who joined the quango in 2008.

So, it seems to be quite clear how quangos operate in Glasgow under Glasgow Labour Party control.

They are filled with Labour Councillors, family members, firneds and associates.

On February 13 last year, the board of Clyde Gateway, agreed to pay £680,000 plus VAT to acquire the land from one of Mr Haughey’s firms.

A spokesman for Clyde Gateway said Haughey had no connection with Clyde Gateway and had never been a board member.

No but he had multiple contacts through the Glasgow Labour Party.

The spokesman added;

“This is completely above board, and no different from any other deal that we have done over two years in Shawfield.”

I am that Clyde Gateway has crossed the i’s and dotted the t’s but this doesn’t mean questions can’t be asked about the Labour Party’s biggest donor.

Haughey said that criticism of his business dealings are politically motivated and therefore people shouldn’t be asking questions.

Don’t people have the right to hold to account those who benefit from taxpayers money?

Haughey said;

“It’s absolutely political. There’s an election coming up.”

It is true that there is an election coming but but Haughey should remember there is always an election coming up and the Steven ‘bin laden’ Purcell scandal started with the greed and excess exhibited down at the SPT.

There needs to be a wider investigation into who benefited from the Glasgow Labour Party’s control of the City Council and that includes quangos and Labour Party donors.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

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