MK and its finances

Radio Cornwall journalist Graham Smith recently blogged about MK and the fact that Stuart Cullimore is recorded as having given significant donations to the Party during the last financial year.

Graham blogged: “Mebyon Kernow's Cornwall councillor Stuart Cullimore appears to have been the party's only donor for most of last year. According to the Electoral Commission, Stuart donated £9,410.90 between 10th April 2009 and 29th December 2009. The Commission records four separate cash donations, ranging from £351.90 to £5,000, and describes Stuart's status as "individual." Nobody else gets a mention.”

The entry can be viewed at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/grahamsmith/2010/05/not_quite_lord_ashcroft_but.html

As a consequence of this, I did an interview with Radio Cornwall at 7.30 this morning. For reasons of accuracy and completeness, I would also like to make the following information known:

MK’s accounts for 2009-2010 have not yet been completed, but these will be submitted to the Electoral Commission by the end of July as required.

At this point however, I estimate that in 2009-2010, MK received donations of around £22,000. As well as Stuart’s generous donation, another member gave MK £5,000. Last year, we also received a donation of £3,000, another of £1,000 and numerous other donations ranging from a few pounds to £500.

We only had to report donations over £5,000 to the Electoral Commission. We did also report the £5,000 donation, but this was not published on the Electoral Commission website as it was not over £5,000.

Last year, four members also loaned MK a total of £7,000 to cover the costs of the General Election we have just fought.

I am extremely proud that MK is funded by the generosity of its ordinary members through member subscriptions – a bargain at £12 a year – and donations and local fundraising. We are truly a political party of and for the people of Cornwall.