YOU recently published a letter critical of Tony Blair funding local Labour Party campaigning.

I thought it might be interesting to check out the financial interests of our parliamentary candidate Alun Cairns, as declared to the House of Commons.

These figures relate to a recent 12 month period.

I was really surprised to see that his local party office accepted donations that totalled £10,000 from the Offshore Group based in North East England. Ironic as Mr Cairns is on record as being opposed to wind farms and yet the company funding his local party applies for planning permission to develop them. Why would they give money to a constituency MP opposed to their business interests?

Euro Foods, a national catering supplier, contributed £10,000 to the local party pot and the United and Cecil Club from Iver, England, generously offered a further £5,000 to Mr Cairn's campaign fund but they do have a track record of donating this sum to marginal Conservative seats to help further their interests.

This is a "dinner club" that helps individuals who are not entitled to make direct donations to constituency parties to do just that.

Interesting reading that the voters in the Vale should think about.

Steve Reed

Parliamentary Candidate for CISTA (Cannabis is Safer than Alcohol Party)

Rhoose