Brown savaged over illegal donations
Gordon Brown's competence as PM has come under fire during heated Commons exchanges following the donations row. Acting Liberal Democrat Leader Vincent Cable said he had gone "from Stalin to Mr Bean" in a matter of weeks, "creating chaos out of order rather than order out of chaos." Property developer David Abrahams gave Labour more than £650,000 under other people's names over four years. It has emerged that Labour's chief fundraiser Jon Mendelsohn was told about it last month, but did not tell anyone else - he said he wanted to sort out the matter with Mr Abrahams and explain it to him personally. Chris Huhne MP has written to Met Chief Ian Blair asking him to investigate whether there is a conflict of interest over Mr Abraham's hidden donations to the Labour Party and a planning approval granted to him when the Department of Transport's Highways Agency lifted its objection. In the Commons yesterday Communities Secretary Hazel Blears promised to look into the details of the planning application.