Harman 'within the spirit' of the law
Updated on 29 November 2007
Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman actively solicited funding for her deputy leadership campaign, Channel 4 News has learned.
Harman has faced growing criticism over the £5,000 'illegal''donation she received in proxy from David Abrahams, the property developer at the heart of the donations row.
It is illegal for donations to be made without the true source of the money being revealed to the Electoral Commission.
Harman has claimed she did not know that the money - recorded as having been donated by Mr Abrahams' secretary Janet Kidd - had come via a supposed go-between.
She told the today Commons: "We have acted both within the spirit and letter of the law.
"We had three very clear rules, only to accept money from we knew personally, our campaign team knew personally, or were already existing donors."
Harman reacted angrily to suggestions of impropriety, telling the Tories' Teresa May: "She can huff and puff but she will not blow this leader of the house down!"
Earlier this week it emerged that Harman had received £5,000 towards the cost of her leadership campaign from Mrs Kidd.
Hilary Benn, another candidate for the deputy leadership, turned down a donation from the same source amid fears of its provenance.
Harman's comments to Parliament came as Channel 4 News learned that she had actively solicited funding for her deputy leadership campaign.
Harman's campaign team sent "hundreds" of letters asking potential donors for money, Michael Foster MP told this programme today.
The deputy leader today told Parliament she acted "within the spirit and letter of the law" in accepting donations for her election campaign.
Harman has claimed she did not know that the money - recorded as having been donated by Mr Abrahams' secretary - had come via a supposed go-between.
She told the Commons: "We have acted both within the spirit and letter of the law.
"We had three very clear rules, only to accept money from we knew personally, our campaign team knew personally, or were already existing donors."
Harman reacted angrily to suggestions of impropriety, telling the Tories' Teresa May: "She can huff and puff but she will not blow this leader of the house down!"
Earlier this week it emerged that Harman had received £5,000 towards the cost of her leadership campaign from Janet Kidd, a secretary for Mr Abrahams.
Hilary Benn, another candidate for the deputy leadership, turned down a donation from the same source amid fears of its provenance.
