No peerage for him

Stuart Wheeler is a quixotic and rather romantic figure, who lives in the rather romantic environs of Chillam. The spread betting tycoon is well known as the biggest political donor in recent British history.

Hi £5 million to the Tories under Hague was one such act. If he had continued with the Tories there is no doubt that he would be sitting on the red benches, all swaddled in ermine. But his actions in supporting UKIP during last year's Euro elections stopped any chjance of that.

Now he is threatening to give another wad of cash to UKIP, he continues to be the exception that proves the rule. He gives money to politics because he believes it to be the right thing to do.

UKIP has not the power to give a seat on a Qaungo board, we cannot give him a berth in the Lords, and we are unlikely to be making the law of this land any time soon.

So thank you Stuart, and I hope that your book sells well.

People often sneer at political donations as self serving, well I suppose he could be investing to make a profit on his bet that Nigel Farage wuill unseat John Bercow in Buckingham, but I somehow feel that at the 4 to 1 odds that he got at the time of his bet would mean that he would have had to put down more than £25 grand. just to break even on his proposed £100,000 donation.

Nah.

I am rather amused by George Eaton's desperate hope that Buckingham stays safe for Bercow. Maybe Mr Eaton should visit Buckingham, his complacency might recive a little bit of a knock.