Senior rapporteur Harry Cole has written to the Electoral Commission following the Charity Commission report into the Smith Institute. The report confirmed information indicating that Gordon Brown received undeclared donations in kind from the Smith Institute in the form of the services of Bob Shrum, a pollster paid by the Smith Institute who advised Gordon Brown on electoral strategy.

The 17 month Charity Commission investigation was prompted by a speech Shrum gave to a meeting of the Smith Institute in March 2006 outlining a strategy to defeat David Cameron’s Conservative Party and inter alia the Liberal Democratic Party.

This in our view constituted an undeclared donation in kind to Gordon Brown (a regulated donee) by the Smith Institute. Section 50 (2) (f) of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 defines a donation as the provision otherwise than on commercial terms of any property, services or facilities for the use or benefit of the party (including the services of any person).

Letter to Electoral Commission here.

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