More on grants...

Further to my previous post, it seems some people aren't too happy about the level of donations being made to the LibDems by JRRT :

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/03/02/nlibs02.xml
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200102/cmselect/cmstnprv/755/75508.htm
http://www.order-order.com/2006/10/libdems-bung-may-be-needed-soon.html

Grants

So ORG got a grant of £24,000 from the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust?

Let's have a quick look at some of the political orgs JRRT have also made grants to:

2006

Liberal Democrats
£1,802,500 allocated as follows:

* £537,500 towards the development costs of a database;
* £200,000 for diversity measures to provide support to women, black, minority ethnic and disabled candidates;
* £500,000 towards the campaign costs of elections held in 2007 in England, Scotland and Wales;
* £500,000 towards the cost of the next General Election campaign;
* £65,000 to develop on-line resources for local parties.

The Office of the Leader of the Liberal Democrats
£100,000 to support the Office of the Leader of the Liberal Democrats.

Scottish Liberal Democrats
A grant over eighteen months to address political disengagement in the lead up to the 2007 local elections in Scotland.

2005

Keighley Liberal Democrats
£1,250 towards General Election campaign literature.

2004

Burnley Labour Party
£4,321 to assist with campaign costs in the 2004 local elections.

Liberal Democrats
£500,000 towards the campaigning costs for the local elections and the 2005 General Election.

Liberal Democrats - Hartlepool
£3,000 towards the campaigning costs for the September 2004 by election.

That's a lot of money for the Lib Dems. So much for ORGs independence.