Wrong 'Uns: Lord Ashcroft, Iain Dale, John Leech

Lord Ashcroft is providing a goodly part of the start up finance for the "politically neutral" Total politics. Iain Dale is now quibbling over the description of this as "bankrolling". He says it is a purely commercial investment.

Tom Watson doubts this. Though in fact the verb to bankroll is not loaded as specific to either charity, loan or commerce. For example:

Cllr Angela Gallagher was persuaded to use her retirement nestegg to bankroll the hoaxer John Leech in his rather mendacious campaign for Westminster.

And there's more:

Mrs Gallagher believed her contribution was by way of a loan and was rather disappointed to say the least when Hoaxer John refused to countenance any payback. Especially considering he had used it to tell lies about the Christie Hospital.

And finally:

"Really" she said "I'm a pensioner and he would take me out for a lovely meal or a big drink and end up persuading me to give him another cheque. All together I gave him twice the spending limit, and that was on top of whatever else he raised."

At the time Mrs Gallagher was said to be particularly upset that Leech was splashing out on sofas and curtains and what have you. Presumably though that was all paid for off the John Lewis List and all £23,000 of Mrs Gallagher's donations were used for the campaign. Limit £11,000.

Withington watchers are looking forward to the complete disclosure of all Mr Leech's runnings. He has been taking adverts in party political leaflets, mixing politics into parliamentary reports produced with taxpayers money for three years on the trot, and also - according to the official list - reneging on his promise to make donations of all councillor expenses from his neglected job in Manchester.

£45,000 plus received, before tax, a mere £3,500 recorded as donated. He's a wrong 'un that John Leech, he really is. GRAPHIC: Courtesy of The Sun.