Any Old Iron 1:16 Sat Mar 4
Great non-story from the Grainiad
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West Ham used club money to donate £9,000 to Conservative party in 2022
Club’s vice-chair, Karren Brady, is a Tory peer
Co-owner David Sullivan called government ‘incompetent’
Jacob Steinberg
@JacobSteinberg
Fri 3 Mar 2023 22.30 GMT
West Ham United used club money to make a £9,000 donation to the Conservative party last year. The donation was revealed by documents published by the Electoral Commission this week and was made on 26 September. The money was accepted by the Conservatives on 3 October, less than a month before Liz Truss was forced to resign as prime minister.
It is not the first time West Ham, whose vice-chair, Karren Brady, is a Tory peer, have given money to the Conservatives. Electoral Commission records show they made a donation of £12,500 in 2016.
The club’s co-owner David Sullivan last month called the government “incompetent” in an angry response to plans to establish a regulator for English football.
“A football regulator is a terrible idea,” Sullivan said. “The government are terrible at running everything. Look at the mess this country is in. We pay the highest taxes ever for the worst service from the worst government that I’ve seen in my lifetime … Why does an incompetent government think it will improve things. In every area this government is involved in, it has added staff for a worse service.
“The government is doing this for a PR win. They think it will be good PR to be seen backing the ordinary football fan and smaller clubs but I bet you it won’t get them a single extra vote. I believe in free enterprise, not government interference.”
On Friday a club spokesperson said: “As a private company, West Ham United make donations to a number of organisations and charities. Our donations often relate, as is the case here, to attending events that are of interest to our key sponsors and partners.”
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Replies - Newest Posts First ( Show In Chronological Order)
Fo the Communist
11:09 Mon Mar 6
Re: Great non-story from the Grainiad
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If they had any strategic sense - and should they feel the need to play politics at all - they'd be cosying up to the Labour Party.
That said if they haven't even bothered to source a replacement manager then forward thinking clearly isn't in their make-up. Fucking clueless cunts.
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Moncurs Putting Iron
11:03 Mon Mar 6
Re: Great non-story from the Grainiad
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Why is it a non Story AOI?
Football clubs should not be making donations to political parties, if their owners, managers, players or the tea lady want to that is entirely their business.
But keep the club money out of it.
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northbankboy68
11:40 Sat Mar 4
Re: Great non-story from the Grainiad
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It tells you where Sullivans focus is.
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Nagel
5:36 Sat Mar 4
Re: Great non-story from the Grainiad
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Not sure if it's such a big deal if it's simply paying to attend Conservative party fundraisers. If you want to schmooze with wealthy potential investors or sponsors then that sort of event is the place do it I suppose. Obviously you'd have to wonder whether it's actually just Brady fiddling expenses to get in with her Tory cronies though.
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MaryMillingtonsGhost
4:21 Sat Mar 4
Re: Great non-story from the Grainiad
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Unsurprisingly poor decisions by the board.
Oh, and it's Grauniad, shirley?
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Kaiser Zoso
4:20 Sat Mar 4
Re: Great non-story from the Grainiad
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Should have given it to the Brexit party
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northbankboy68
4:11 Sat Mar 4
Re: Great non-story from the Grainiad
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Interesting that no one on here supports it.
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Northern Sold
2:59 Sat Mar 4
Re: Great non-story from the Grainiad
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£9k?? What's that?? Round of drinks at the ground??
In all seriousness i'm with bruuuuno does not sit right at all...
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bruuuno
2:41 Sat Mar 4
Re: Great non-story from the Grainiad
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I’m not political in any way but this is wrong imo
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ray winstone
12:54 Sat Mar 4
Re: Great non-story from the Grainiad
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I blame Boris.
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Hermit Road
12:49 Sat Mar 4
Re: Great non-story from the Grainiad
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They’re both leftist parties who like spending money and spend too much of it mainly because we wouldn’t elect a party who would spend reasonably.
Must be great being able to throw shade at the Tories for simultaneously spending too much and too little though.
Mike, The Olympic stadium has nothing to do with Westminster and will play zero role of any manifesto pledge because it is totally down to London to sort out. Even if that wasn’t true, £9k wouldn’t buy shit.
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southbankbornnbred
12:40 Sat Mar 4
Re: Great non-story from the Grainiad
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We could have spent that £9,000 on the left-foot small toe of our next right back.
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southbankbornnbred
12:37 Sat Mar 4
Re: Great non-story from the Grainiad
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On the issue in the headline, I think it’s poor that as a club we have donated to ANY political party. I’d say the same if it was Labour or the SNP!
Keep those donations personal. Sure, we currently have a Conservative peer as CEO. But that will change over time. The point is to keep all political donations away from the club’s coffers.
As a club, especially one with our roots, we should be focused on donating to community and sports projects (I know we do).
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southbankbornnbred
12:31 Sat Mar 4
Re: Great non-story from the Grainiad
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All governments spend other people’s money, Mike. That’s the point of government. Do you somehow assume that Labour spend ours, and Conservatives, Lib Dens and others spend their own?!
Btw, the Conservatives have been in power since 2010 and, during that time, have spent more of “other people’s money” than any party in British history.
But you know that.
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Mike Oxsaw
11:23 Sat Mar 4
Re: Great non-story from the Grainiad
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Hermit Road 10:27 Sat Mar 4
You don't think that the (Tory) government could possibly use getting the cost of running the OS off the taxpayers shoulders as one of their election pledges?
Labour won't see it in the same light as they love spending (other people's) money, but might just be aware of the public perception here.
Depends how the money was/is used.
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,
11:14 Sat Mar 4
Re: Great non-story from the Grainiad
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Why does someone bother to post a non story’s?
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Hermit Road
10:27 Sat Mar 4
Re: Great non-story from the Grainiad
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Mike Oxsaw 6:35 Sat Mar 4
£9k
To grease the renting of a ground worth hundreds of millions.
To a party who have nothing to do with the running of the ground in question.
Mike, do you think you might be prone to spot conspiracy theories where none exist?
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goose
9:35 Sat Mar 4
Re: Great non-story from the Grainiad
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Our football club should not be making political donations.
That money would be better served in our community programs.
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marty feldman
9:02 Sat Mar 4
Re: Great non-story from the Grainiad
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Moyes has been a labour party member since he was 15 I read a few months ago .
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marty feldman
9:01 Sat Mar 4
Re: Great non-story from the Grainiad
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Football and politics should never mix . Just shows how tight GSB are that they use the clubs money instead of their own .
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Mike Oxsaw
6:35 Sat Mar 4
Re: Great non-story from the Grainiad
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Should they be renting their ground off a department influenced/controlled by a political party?
It's not just Johnny Foreigner who greases palms to get things moving.
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