Latest news with #ReclaimParty
Telegraph
17-05-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Publisher of US-based The New York Sun launches effort to buy The Telegraph
The publisher of US news website The New York Sun has launched a fresh effort to buy The Telegraph with the backing of a Brexiteer businessman. Dovid Efune is hoping to purchase The Telegraph with the backing of Jeremy Hosking, a former Tory donor who went on to bankroll the Reclaim Party. A previous takeover fronted by Mr Efune failed to meet a deadline to raise financing last December. The takeover saga has been ongoing for almost two years. It emerged last week that Labour will allow the United Arab Emirates to own up to 15 per cent of The Telegraph. Efforts to take control of The Telegraph by RedBird IMI, an investment vehicle mostly backed by the UAE, had been blocked by an outright ban on foreign state ownership. RedBird Capital, the US private equity firm which provides the minority of the funding to RedBird IMI, is understood to be preparing a deal to become the controlling shareholder in The Telegraph. IMI and other investors are expected to take minority stakes in a transaction worth more than £500 million. Mr Hosking supported Laurence Fox's Reclaim Party to the tune of £10 million at the end of 2021. He backed Tory candidates in 2017 before giving a six-figure sum to Nigel Farage's Brexit Party ahead of its victory at the European elections in 2019. At last year's general election campaign, he made £5,000 donations to four Tory candidates in exchange for backing the Reclaim Movement's 'four-point commitment to culture' A source familiar with conversations said Mr Efune 'has been working quietly over the past months and has now secured commitments from a group of backers amounting to a significant bulk of the equity capital required'. The source added he would travel to London next week for conversations and hailed what would amount to a 'British bid' for The Telegraph. Mr Hosking said: 'I fully support the Efune bid as they are appropriate owners of this British asset, and have already offered financial backing. If it succeeds I am confident I will be significantly involved.'
BBC News
01-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Ex-MP Bridgen 'should have apologised' for declaring loan late
A former MP should have apologised to MPs over a late declaration relating to a loan totalling more than £4m, Parliament's standards watchdog has Bridgen, the ex-member for North West Leicestershire, received payments totalling £4,470,576 between 12 October 2020 and 18 December 2023, which were declared on 19 December standards commissioner found that failing to register all of them within a 28-day timeframe amounted to an "inadvertent" breach of the MPs' code of Bridgen said he had not registered the funds from businessman and Reclaim Party donor Jeremy Hosking because they were to pay for a "strictly private" matter rather than political purposes. The watchdog said the "donations were a registrable interest" because the two men were associated through political connections and because the interest and repayment-free terms made it a financial first payment was registered 1,135 days late, the commissioner a report published on Thursday, Parliament's Standards Committee said it hoped Mr Bridgen would "behave honourably and acknowledge that he was wrong, even if honestly wrong, to believe that the £4.47m... was not a registrable interest".The report added: "We agree with the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards that he should have apologised to the house."The purpose for which the money was provided was private and personal. Mr Bridgen's relationship with a political donor nonetheless raised sufficient reason to make such donations a matter for registration." Family potato business Responding to the report's conclusions on Thursday, Mr Bridgen said: "The committee concluded that I should apologise to the House."I believe that the House of Commons should apologise to the people for promoting the experimental vaccines as being 'safe and effective'."For legal reasons I am not able to elaborate on the situation regarding Mr Hosking but all will be revealed over the coming years."The former MP believed he was being unfairly pursued by the standards watchdog following his decision to criticise the Covid-19 May 2023 he joined the Reclaim Party, which was founded by actor Laurence Fox and heavily funded by Mr Hosking, who has donated more than £2m to the Bridgen did register other donations from the businessman which he regarded as directly related to his parliamentary work, but said staff and colleagues had agreed with him that the loan was "purely private".The purpose of the funds was to cover legal fees in relation to a civil case involving Mr Bridgen's brother and other shareholders in their family potato business, the committee's report Bridgen resigned from Reclaim in December 2023 after becoming the party's first MP. He lost his seat after standing as an independent candidate in the 2024 general election.
The Independent
01-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Bridgen ‘should have apologised for code breach' over loan
Andrew Bridgen should have apologised to MPs over a late declaration relating to a loan totalling more than £4 million, Parliament's standards watchdog has said. The former MP said he had not registered the funds from businessman and Reclaim Party donor Jeremy Hosking because they were to pay for a 'strictly private' matter rather than political purposes. Payments totalling £4,470,576.42 were received between October 12 2020 and December 18 2023, and were declared on December 19 2023. Parliament's standards commissioner found that failing to register all of them within the 28-day timeframe set by the House amounted to an 'inadvertent' breach of the MPs' code of conduct. The watchdog said the 'donations were a registrable interest' because the two men were associated through political connections and because the interest and repayment-free terms made it a financial benefit. The first payment was registered '1,135 days late', the commissioner said. In a report published on Thursday, Parliament's Standards Committee said it hoped Mr Bridgen would 'behave honourably and acknowledge that he was wrong, even if honestly wrong, to believe that the £4.47 million … was not a registrable interest'. 'We agree with the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards that he should have apologised to the House. 'The purpose for which the money was provided was private and personal; Mr Bridgen's relationship with a political donor nonetheless raised sufficient reason to make such donations a matter for registration.' Responding to the report's conclusions on Thursday, Mr Bridgen said: 'The committee concluded that I should apologise to the House. I believe that the House of Commons should apologise to the people for promoting the experimental vaccines as being 'safe and effective'. 'For legal reasons I am not able to elaborate on the situation regarding Mr Hosking but all will revealed over the coming years.' He added: 'As I evidenced in the inquiry, I had repeatedly sought guidance from successive registrars of members' interests over many years and their advice was always the same – the matter was strictly personal and private and so did not need to be registered.' The former MP for North West Leicestershire suggested he believed he was being unfairly pursued by the the standards watchdog following his decision to criticise the Covid-19 vaccine. Mr Bridgen was expelled from the Tory Party after claiming that a cardiologist told him use of the jabs was 'the biggest crime against humanity since the Holocaust'. In May 2023 he joined Reclaim, a party founded by actor Laurence Fox and heavily funded by Mr Hosking, who has donated more than £2 million to the party. Mr Bridgen did register other donations from the businessman which he regarded as directly related to his parliamentary work, but said staff and colleagues had agreed with him that the loan was 'purely private'. The purpose of the funds was to cover legal fees in relation to a civil case involving Mr Bridgen's brother and other shareholders in their family potato business, the committee's report said. Mr Bridgen resigned from Reclaim in December 2023 after becoming the party's first MP. He lost his seat after standing as an Independent candidate in the 2024 general election.
Powys County Times
01-05-2025
- Business
- Powys County Times
Bridgen ‘should have apologised for code breach' over loan
Andrew Bridgen should have apologised to MPs over a late declaration relating to a loan totalling more than £4 million, Parliament's standards watchdog has said. The former MP said he had not registered the funds from businessman and Reclaim Party donor Jeremy Hosking because they were to pay for a 'strictly private' matter rather than political purposes. Payments totalling £4,470,576.42 were received between October 12 2020 and December 18 2023, and were declared on December 19 2023. Parliament's standards commissioner found that failing to register all of them within the 28-day timeframe set by the House amounted to an 'inadvertent' breach of the MPs' code of conduct. The watchdog said the 'donations were a registrable interest' because the two men were associated through political connections and because the interest and repayment-free terms made it a financial benefit. The first payment was registered '1,135 days late', the commissioner said. In a report published on Thursday, Parliament's Standards Committee said it hoped Mr Bridgen would 'behave honourably and acknowledge that he was wrong, even if honestly wrong, to believe that the £4.47 million … was not a registrable interest'. 'We agree with the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards that he should have apologised to the House. 'The purpose for which the money was provided was private and personal; Mr Bridgen's relationship with a political donor nonetheless raised sufficient reason to make such donations a matter for registration.' Responding to the report's conclusions on Thursday, Mr Bridgen said: 'The committee concluded that I should apologise to the House. I believe that the House of Commons should apologise to the people for promoting the experimental vaccines as being 'safe and effective'. 'For legal reasons I am not able to elaborate on the situation regarding Mr Hosking but all will revealed over the coming years.' He added: 'As I evidenced in the inquiry, I had repeatedly sought guidance from successive registrars of members' interests over many years and their advice was always the same – the matter was strictly personal and private and so did not need to be registered.' The former MP for North West Leicestershire suggested he believed he was being unfairly pursued by the the standards watchdog following his decision to criticise the Covid-19 vaccine. Mr Bridgen was expelled from the Tory Party after claiming that a cardiologist told him use of the jabs was 'the biggest crime against humanity since the Holocaust'. In May 2023 he joined Reclaim, a party founded by actor Laurence Fox and heavily funded by Mr Hosking, who has donated more than £2 million to the party. Mr Bridgen did register other donations from the businessman which he regarded as directly related to his parliamentary work, but said staff and colleagues had agreed with him that the loan was 'purely private'. The purpose of the funds was to cover legal fees in relation to a civil case involving Mr Bridgen's brother and other shareholders in their family potato business, the committee's report said. Mr Bridgen resigned from Reclaim in December 2023 after becoming the party's first MP. He lost his seat after standing as an Independent candidate in the 2024 general election.
Western Telegraph
01-05-2025
- Business
- Western Telegraph
Bridgen ‘should have apologised for code breach' over loan
The former MP said he had not registered the funds from businessman and Reclaim Party donor Jeremy Hosking because they were to pay for a 'strictly private' matter rather than political purposes. Payments totalling £4,470,576.42 were received between October 12 2020 and December 18 2023, and were declared on December 19 2023. Andrew Bridgen joined Reclaim – which was founded by actor Laurence Fox – in 2023 after being expelled from the Conservative Party (Stefan Rousseau/PA) Parliament's standards commissioner found that failing to register all of them within the 28-day timeframe set by the House amounted to an 'inadvertent' breach of the MPs' code of conduct. The watchdog said the 'donations were a registrable interest' because the two men were associated through political connections and because the interest and repayment-free terms made it a financial benefit. The first payment was registered '1,135 days late', the commissioner said. In a report published on Thursday, Parliament's Standards Committee said it hoped Mr Bridgen would 'behave honourably and acknowledge that he was wrong, even if honestly wrong, to believe that the £4.47 million … was not a registrable interest'. 'We agree with the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards that he should have apologised to the House. 'The purpose for which the money was provided was private and personal; Mr Bridgen's relationship with a political donor nonetheless raised sufficient reason to make such donations a matter for registration.' For legal reasons I am not able to elaborate on the situation regarding Mr Hosking but all will revealed over the coming years Andrew Bridgen Responding to the report's conclusions on Thursday, Mr Bridgen said: 'The committee concluded that I should apologise to the House. I believe that the House of Commons should apologise to the people for promoting the experimental vaccines as being 'safe and effective'. 'For legal reasons I am not able to elaborate on the situation regarding Mr Hosking but all will revealed over the coming years.' He added: 'As I evidenced in the inquiry, I had repeatedly sought guidance from successive registrars of members' interests over many years and their advice was always the same – the matter was strictly personal and private and so did not need to be registered.' The former MP for North West Leicestershire suggested he believed he was being unfairly pursued by the the standards watchdog following his decision to criticise the Covid-19 vaccine. Mr Bridgen was expelled from the Tory Party after claiming that a cardiologist told him use of the jabs was 'the biggest crime against humanity since the Holocaust'. In May 2023 he joined Reclaim, a party founded by actor Laurence Fox and heavily funded by Mr Hosking, who has donated more than £2 million to the party. Mr Bridgen did register other donations from the businessman which he regarded as directly related to his parliamentary work, but said staff and colleagues had agreed with him that the loan was 'purely private'. The purpose of the funds was to cover legal fees in relation to a civil case involving Mr Bridgen's brother and other shareholders in their family potato business, the committee's report said. Mr Bridgen resigned from Reclaim in December 2023 after becoming the party's first MP. He lost his seat after standing as an Independent candidate in the 2024 general election.
