Rich List donors gave £83m to the Conservative Party in past decade

THE TORIES have received donations of more than £83 million from people on the Sunday Times Rich List, according to a trade union study.

A study for the GMB showed that 248 out of the top 1,000 in the list were supporters of the Conservative Party who have financially backed the party.

The information, drawn from the Electoral Commission and the Register of Members’ Interests from 2001 to this year, was presented to delegates at the GMB annual conference in Brighton today.

GMB general secretary Paul Kenny said: “It is clear that the wealthy look to the Tory Party to protect their interests and they have been repaid with policies like the change in income tax, down from 50p to 45p. This is not philanthropy. It is an investment by an elite in an elite to look after their interests.

“These revelations that the Tory Party is funded to such an extent by the rich and elite of our country is a shocking indictment of the real allegiance of the Tory Party.”