Tatler Tory and a very naughty blonde activist
THE Conservatives’ ‘independent’ investigation into the ‘ Tatler Tory’ scandal was already unravelling last night as it emerged the law firm conducting the inquiry has worked for the party for years.
Clifford Chance has been used repeatedly by Tory headquarters for legal advice – raising questions over its independence.
Despite this, the firm has been brought in to find what senior officials – including chairman Lord Feldman – knew about allegations of bullying and blackmail by election aide Mark Clarke.
It is estimated Clifford Chance – said to be the ‘go-to firm’ for the Tories – has received hundreds of thousands of pounds in fees from the party over that period.
Last night the family of Elliott Johnson, the young Tory activist who killed himself after being bullied by Clarke, reacted with fury at the idea of an inquiry run by ‘cronies’.
On Monday, after complaints it was trying to investigate itself, the Tory Party’s board appointed Clifford Chance to carry out the inquiry. It said the City firm’s work would be ‘timely, objective, comprehensive and independent’ and overseen by crossbench peer and barrister Lord Pannick QC.
But last night it emerged that, in 2008, the firm had advised the party on an Electoral Commission probe on whether donations worth £5.1million were lawful. The lead lawyer in the case was Simon Davis, the senior partner tasked by the Conservatives with running the investigation into Clarke, who was dubbed the ‘Tatler Tory’ after the society magazine tipped him for a Cabinet position.
Last night one former Tory MP told the Mail the firm had given legal advice on donations, constitution and party governance issues to the Tories under David Cameron and Lord Feldman. Clifford Chance has been the ‘go-to City law firm for the Conservatives for at least seven years’, the source said.
Mr Johnson’s father Ray accused the party of setting up an inquiry run by ‘cronies’ and called for it to be handed to an ‘entirely independent’ law firm. ‘One of the first ques-
‘The go-to law firm for the Tories’
tions I asked was how close was the relationship of Clifford Chance to the Conservative Party,’ he said.
‘It is more welcome that the inquiry is being done externally [than by the party itself] but if it is cronies of the Conservative Party then it is an attempt to cover it up by other means, a potential sham.
‘I would prefer an entirely independent organisation – one that’s not linked to the Conservative Party – to conduct an investigation of this seriousness.’
The scandal broke following the death of Mr Johnson, 21, on September 15. He had been bullied mercilessly by Clarke and his acolytes in the campaign group Road Trip 2015, which bussed young Tory volunteers around the country ahead of May’s election.
The party had put barrister Edward Legard in charge of the investigation, with Mr Davis and Clifford Chance conducting a review.
Two weeks ago this was abandoned and Clarke’s party membership revoked following allegations senior Tories had been repeatedly warned about Clarke but did nothing.
On Saturday, international devel- opment minister Grant Shapps resigned after admitting he should not have given Clarke a second chance when he brought Road Trip back into the party’s official election campaign in 2014.
On Monday, as pressure mounted on Lord Feldman, Mr Cameron’s close political ally, tennis partner and friend since university, party bosses finally caved in and ordered an ‘independent’ inquiry.
They said the investigation would be conducted ‘in its entirety’ by Clifford Chance, with Lord Pannick overseeing the review. In 2008 a Clifford Chance team led by Mr Davis advised the party on its response to an investigation over claims donations from Bearwood Corporate Services, a finance firm in Reading, had broken electoral law.
The Electoral Commission rejected the claims but its chairman said she was ‘disappointed’ its ‘protracted’ attempts to secure permission for direct access to Tory officers and staff during its 18month inquiry had been fruitless.
And in 2006 the party announced Clifford Chance had carried out a review of £16million of loans to the party in the 2005 election campaign. The firm advised the party the loan agreements were lawful.
Last night Clifford Chance said: ‘Professional integrity is at the heart of our firm. Our team is wellregarded for its work on sensitive investigations and is entirely independent of the facts in this case.’
Last night a spokesman for the Conservative Party confirmed Clifford Chance had ‘assisted’ the party but insisted the investigation would be carried out properly. She said: ‘Clifford Chance has assisted the Conservative Party on a number of occasions. It would not be appropriate to comment on the specifics of each occasion.
‘Clifford Chance are a very reputable firm and we are confident they will carry out the investigation in the proper fashion.
‘The crossbench peer Lord Pannick QC has agreed to certify that it is objective, appropriate and comprehensive.’