How much of Lord Ashcroft’s £6 million tory funding has been sucked out of Belize?

15.03.10

Money made in Belize should be reinvested in Belize, a developing country, which needs all the genuine investment it can get says Belize trades union CWU

GMB is in contact with ITUC affiliate CWU in Belize over the £6 million used by Lord Ashcroft to bankroll the Tory Party campaign in marginal seats in the UK. GMB is trying to establish with our trade union colleagues there a clear picture about Lord Aschroft’s business and political activity in Belize. The unions GMB in UK and CWU in Belize issued the following statements today 4th March 2010.

Mr. Antonio Gonzalez, General Secretary Christian Workers' Union, speaking from Belize City said ”We know that Lord Ashcroft has a lot of business interests in Belize and there is every likelihood that some of his personal fortune comes from these investments. We would be very surprised to hear that he is using money made in Belizefor political reasons in the UK.

We would like GMB to seek to establish if part of this money comes from Belize. Money made in Belize should be reinvested here. Belizeis a developing country and needs all the genuine investment it can get”.

Paul Kenny GMB General Secretary said “Lord Ashcroft has pumped £6 million into the Tory election campaign in the marginal seats. There is no evidence that this money was made from taxable income in the UK.

GMB has received a request from workers in Belize, a developing economy, to establish if any of this money has been sucked out of the Belizeeconomy and used for electioneering purposes in Britain.

GMB are asking Lord Ashcroft and Tory leader David Cameron to come clean and say how much of this £6 million has been sucked out of Belize. GMB agree with the Belize workers who say that money made in Belize should be reinvested there as the economy needs all the genuine investment it can get.”