DAVID Cameron last night caved in to public and political pressure and published the lists of top Tory donors who have been invited to private meals at No 10 and the Prime Minister's country retreat at Chequers.
Just hours after Francis Maude, the Cabinet Office minister, insisted details of Mr Cameron's private meals in Downing Street would not be made public, No 10 published a list of four dinners attended by 12 key donors and their wives and partners. Between them they have given almost £18 million to the Conservative Party.
When it was pointed out that a similar list for the PM's country residence had not been produced, senior Tory sources at first said this would not be released, then said it would be difficult because of the less formal procedures at Chequers. But within an hour a list had been released.
This contained details of five lunches and brought to 15 the total number of donors who have enjoyed Mr Cameron's private hospitality.
As the PM and Tory high command sought to draw a line under the row, a poll last night suggested it had compounded the damage done to the Conservative brand by last week's Budget.
In a ComRes survey, some 66% of people agreed that the Conservatives were the "party of the rich". The snapshot also pushed Labour 10 points ahead – its biggest lead in a ComRes poll since March 2005.
Labour was put on 43%, up three points since last month, while the Tories were down four on 33% and the LibDems were down two on 11%.
Ed Miliband last night addressed Labour MPs and peers, telling them it had been "a politically significant week".
He insisted Mr Cameron's project had "come to a crashing halt" and told his backbenchers: "It shows the battle in politics is: who is for the few and who is for the many?"
After Peter Cruddas, the former Tory co-treasurer, was caught on film telling undercover reporters that "premier league" gifts could secure meetings with ministers and influence UK Government policy, the pressure increased on Mr Cameron by the hour. The PM denied Mr Cruddas's claims that big donors' concerns were fed into a policy committee at Downing Street, and insisted none of those who had dined with him had been recommended by the former treasurer, who quit his post on Saturday, hours after his comments were made public.
"None of these dinners were fundraising dinners and none of these dinners were paid for by the taxpayer. I have known most of those attending for many years," declared Mr Cameron.
The Prime Minister announced that eminent lawyer and Tory peer Lord Gold would conduct a party inquiry into the affair.
He said the party would in future release quarterly registers of significant donors invited to eat with him at official residences, as well as lists of those attending "Leader's Group" dinners for benefactors who give the Tories more than £50,000.
In a raucous House of Commons, Mr Miliband laid into the absent Mr Cameron, claiming the announced inquiry was a "whitewash".
"Anything short of an independent inquiry will leave a permanent stain on the reputation of this Government and this Prime Minister," he said.
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