Tories’ poll lead highest since Thatcher’s peak

BRITAIN’S Conservative Party yesterday established their strongest opinion-poll lead since the height of Margaret Thatcher’s reign 20 years ago, as embattled British Prime Minister Gordon Brown faced a police probe into a funding scandal in his Labour Party.

Divisions within the party also emerged as deputy leader Harriet Harman “absolutely” denied damaging Mr Brown’s reputation after her aides accepted £5,000 (€7,000) from a proxy donor acting on behalf of businessman David Abrahams.

Speaking in what has been politically the most bruising week for Mr Brown since taking over as premier in June, Ms Harman said the contact had been passed to her by Mr Brown’s team, declaring she had “complied with the letter and spirit of the law and I think Gordon Brown has done the same”.

Britain’s Electoral Commission has asked police to examine claims that property developer David Abrahams used middlemen to channel more than £650,000 to the Labour Party, a possible breach of transparency laws.

Under law, details of any donor making gifts through a third party must be registered with the commission. Mr Brown has said he only learned of the donations late last week and they will be returned. He has said donations from Mr Abrahams were made over four years — under the names of associates Janet Kidd, Janet Dunn, John McCarthy and his builder Ray Ruddick — and that they were “completely unacceptable”.

Meanwhile, a YouGov poll for the pro-Tory Daily Telegraph published yesterday put the Tories on 43%, 11 points ahead of Labour.

The scandal follows a 19-month police inquiry into a £1.4 million “cash-for- honours” scandal implicating Tony Blair. No charges were brought. Justice Minister Jack Straw said yesterday: “I think the culture has changed but not enough.”