Tory mega-donor Lord Ashcroft seemed keen to play down his secretive meeting with the leader of New Zealand's National Party, John Key, when the two men met at the beginning of September. However, I'm delighted to report that "money never came up," according to the newly elected Prime Minister.
"Did you approach him or did he approach you?" Key was asked when collared by 3 News political editor, Duncan Garner, back in September.
Key: "Not sure of the answer to that. It was in my diary..."
Garner: "Do you not recall whether you rang him or he rang you?"
Key: "Well it would have been arranged by my, well, it's, I just follow what was in my diary."
Following the broadcasting of the interview Lord Ashcroft "strangely" contacted 3 News to confirm that the National Party did not solicit any money nor did he offer any money to John Key. So what did they discuss? Policy? Campaigning in marginal seats? According to Key, it was nothing more than "a general chit chat about what's going on in the UK."
Like the investigation currently underway by the Electoral Commission into Cashcroft's funding of the Tory party, perhaps?
Hat-tip, The Turks & Caicos Islands Journal:
'In the Turks and Caicos Islands, there are varying reports as to the extent of his (Cashcroft's) reach into the political fabric of this country. The reports range from "overwhelming", to simply "huge". It would be naive, or intentionally naive, to not see that there is a pattern to how he has worked in each of the jurisdictions he is involved with.'
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