Camerons big Jewish backers
20 October 2006
They back Cameron. They back Labour. They back Liberals. They win. It what is known in the gambling industry as a stacked deck.
The Jewish Chronicle fingers:
Lord Steinberg, gambling industry £530,000 plus a loan of £250,000
Stanley Fink, hedge fund owner £103,000
Dame Vivien Duffield, philanthropist, a loan of £250,000
Trevor Pears, "philanthropist", around £20,000
Poju Zabludowicz, Bicom "chair", £15,000 to Cameron plus £25,000 to the party
Simon Wolfson, Next chief executive, £10,000 plus £50,000 to the party)
Michael Green, former Carlton TV boss £10,000
Andrew Feldman, his family firm, Jayroma, £10,000
David Cameron with Israeli war criminal Ehud OlmertInfluential rather than good for ackers are:
Howard Leigh, party treasurer and managing director of Cavendish Corporate Finance
Oliver Letwin, head of policy, former shadow Home Secretary and shadow Chancellor, Eton.
Grant Shapps, Welwyn Hatfield MP
Lord Kalms - keen on murdering Arabs
Richard Harrington, Conservative Friends of Israel "chair"
The Key Players
Andrew Feldman - Destined to be charged with raising money for the new-look Conservative Party, Andrew Feldman (second left at the back), 40, met Mr Cameron (top right of picture) at Brasenose College, Oxford. He is a close friend and tennis partner of the leader.
Said to be a member of the Tories so-called Notting Hill set, he lives in West London with his wife and two children. Mr Feldman attended Haberdashers Askes school, and, after qualifying as a lawyer, entered the familys ladies wear firm, Jayroma. Having acted as fundraiser for Mr Camerons leadership campaign, he is now deputy treasurer of the party and is in Mr Camerons economic-policy group.
Michael Green - Michael Green, former chairman of Carlton Television, gave financial support to David Camerons leadership campaign but would not discuss details.
I am a big supporter of David Cameron but I want to make it clear that I have not supported the Tory Party. I have supported David Camerons quest to become leader, he said.
Lord Steinberg - Lord Steinberg formerly Leonard Steinberg became a life peer in 2004 and is a major donor to the Conservatives. Raised in Belfast and educated at Royal Belfast Academical Institution, the 70-year-old Baron Steinberg of Belfast was a founder of Stanley Leisure plc, the gaming company, serving as executive chairman from 1957 to 2002 and non-executive chairman since then. He is a former deputy treasurer of the Tory party and is a founder and chairman of his family charitable trust. His political interests are listed in Dodd's, the parliamentary guide, as Northern Ireland, tax and gambling, and Israel.
Simon Wolfson - A donor to David Camerons leadership campaign and to the Conservative Party, Simon Wolfson, 38, will be continuing a family tradition when he becomes an adviser to Mr Cameron on improving economic competition and wealth creation.
The son of Lord Wolfson, who was chief of staff to Margaret Thatcher, Mr Wolfson, chief executive of the Next clothing chain, is one of the youngest advisors to be appointed by Mr Cameron.
Along with MP John Redwood, Mr Wolfson will jointly chair the advisory group that will seek to reduce red tape and improve education and skills in the workplace. It will also examine the countrys transport infrastructure.
Grant Shapps MP - As vice-chairman of the Conservative Party and seconder to David Camerons campaign, backbencher Grant Shapps will find the next few months extremely busy as he tours the constituencies to persuade Tories of the virtues of the new leadership.
Speaking to the JC, he acknowledged that there would be doubts in some quarters but he has no doubt that the party has chosen the right man.
I persuaded my colleagues at the parliamentary level and I shall now have to do the same thing all over the country, said the MP for Welwyn Hatfield. The thing that people will like about David is that he is very optimistic.
Cover of The Jewish Chronicle, 22/03/2007, headlining its interview with Conservative Party leader David Cameron: "My values are Jewish values"