Who to condemn?

It's been a while since Maria (Gold Taps) Eagle featured on these pages. So thanks to the reader who brought to our attention this recent story in the Daily Post about 190 job losses in her constituency, as Novartis transfers them to Italy.

Normally we might expect any MP let alone a Labour MP to condemn the move and be demanding meetings with the management to reverse the decision. But instead of condemnation she blames the ConDems, and praises the company.

By coincidence, Maria's constituency Labour party got a £3000 shot in the arm from the Swiss owned pharmaceuticals company, who have also made larger donations to the Labour party.

Labour have a long standing relationship with the firm. Before selling out for £542Million and netting a cool £70million for himself and family, Paul Drayson regularly hit the headlines for his controversial Labour donations which exceed £1Million.

As reported here in the Guardian "Mr Drayson's firm, Powderject, received a £32m contract for smallpox vaccine without normal competitive tendering, shortly after donating £100,000 to Labour."

This resulted in a parliamentary inquiry, which failed to identify any improper activity. But Labour ministers were servilely criticised by the Parliamentary Ombudsman for refusing to comply with freedom of information requests, describing it as "a matter of great concern."

Mr Drayson was then made Lord Drayson by Labour, and he promptly gave another £1/2Million to the party. He was also appointed a Minister in the Blair and Brown Governments.

Strangely Novartis's donation doesn't appear to be listed on Maria's parliamentary register of interests. Neither do donations from Peel Ports or housing association South Liverpool Housing.