Fibdemologist Record Donor: Lend Me Your Passports

"He can have mine", "No mine", "Take mine" - the Gulls of Liberty offering perhaps to lend Michael Brown their passports as their millionaire donor was banged up for a couple of minor offences. His donor company has been struck off having never apparently traded in the UK. Which must mean the Electoral commission will reconsider their October 05 clearance for these Jailbirds of Fibbery.

Having rounded up HERE the earlier back story with stories from the London press let's show our commitment to the Union by linking to The Scotsman for the initial sentencing. Investigations are of course proceeding on other matters.

A Lib Dem spokesman said at the time: "There is no connection between the Liberal Democrats and the offences to which Michael Brown has pleaded guilty and has been sentenced today."

Which rather contradicted the judge who had branded the case one of "very deliberate and pointed" dishonesty. Which seems to many of us who struggle daily against poisoned Fibdemology to be their stock in trade.

"The Liberal Democrats" the fibbers continued "acted in good faith at all times in relation to the receipt and expenditure of donations from his company. We conducted appropriate checks on the source of these donations within the statutory timescale."

It does make one wonder about their methodology. The Electoral Commission have every reason to review their decision and could usefully also examine every return the Lib Dems ever made to them on election expenses, donations, and loans.

"All this money was properly spent during the general election campaign last year. Our accounts for the election campaign were independently audited."

Sound like wool has been pulled over some auditors eyes there then.

Of course all this was extensively blogged months before LoL hit the ether. The story HERE has links to the backstory up to July 2006 and gives a compelling account of how the donor company was pretty thin on the ground and hardly likely to pass muster on any serious checks. While the comments on THIS story of the sentencing offer some excellent points:

One quoth: ... Brown denied trying to buy political influence, stating, "You must be fucking joking, it's the Lib Dems for God's sake."

Another suggested the judge was not taken by the guilty man's goatee beard and sandals. But this earlier picture - rather like a young Simon Hughes don't you think? - shows him looking the part even without the offending barbery.

Last word to the Lib Dems who are praising rather than burying their "new" leader: "I don't think Ming knew anything about it then," said one MP. "He wasn't one of Kennedy's inner circle." Or at least he was only in the same sense that Brutus was one of Caesar's inner circle. Backing him to the, ahem, hilt. As Campbell's inner circle are of course doing these days.