Claims and counterclaims over ‘dark money’ trail leading from HSBC to the Tories

‘Accusations the Conservative Party received “dark money” to fund its election campaign from a struggling firm backed by banking giant HSBC have been put in doubt.
Documents reveal HSBC awarded a £214.2 million ($276.3 million) loan to IPGL – a company owned by then-Conservative Party treasurer and chief fundraiser, Michael Spencer – in October 2008, at the height of the financial crisis.
The Canary investigative news site says despite the company being in some financial distress, IPGL was donating between £500,000 and £1.1 million a year to the Tories, and gave £1.03 million to the Conservatives’ 2010 election campaign.
Over £18,000 was given directly to Cameron, which paid for him, Chancellor George Osborne and four unnamed others to fly by private jet to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.’
Read more: Claims and counterclaims over ‘dark money’ trail leading from HSBC to the Tories