Today’s Sunday Telegraph reveals that Conservative MPs have been told to use private business clubs for donations so that they do not have to reveal the identity of the individual donors. They have received more than £1.7m by this route including £815,000 from the United and Cecil Club (which has in the past donated money to the East Devon Conservative Party). If you give more than £1,500 to a local party it has to reveal your name to the Electoral Commission but if it is given to a club this rises to £7,500 before an individual has to be named.

The guidance is said to have been drawn up by the Conservatives Compliance Unit and was handed out at last week’s Tory Party Conference. It also advises that funds for MPs should be channeled this was too rather than to the individual MP and then handed on to the MP by the local party.

The advice is also said to include advice against wording invitations [to donate] in such a say that it implies that businesses which make donations can lobby ministers and MPs, which can be illegal.