30/10/2013 00:00
TW
0

by RAY FLEMING
POLITICIANS really don't like saying sorry, do they? It was obviously essential for the Conservatives to get George Osborne back into play on economic policy issues after a silence of several days. So yesterday he offered some carefully drafted words about the Oleg Deripaska affair in the hope that he would then be able to draw a line under it. “I neither asked for money nor received any and I didn't break any rules” Mr Osborne told the BBC, repeating a formula he first used a few days ago. So what is the fuss about? Apparently that “I did make a mistake and it didn't look very good. I regret that.” But what was the mistake if he did not break any rules? Apparently it was “to become involved in a discussion about a donation”.

There is a black hole somewhere in the middle of this affair. Mr Osborne was asked whether it all pointed to a lack of sound judgement on his part. “The real judgement,“ he replied, “Is: can you learn from a mistake you make?” In this case, apparently he has learnt not to get involved in donation discussions in future. But isn't it remarkable that a man in his position in politics should need to learn not to discuss donations from a foreigner or how to organise them through a British company?

There are plenty more of these cases still to come to light. They all underline the need for a change in Britain's party funding provisions.