[Sephiroth]

I doubt it'll ever stop.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/red-...nors-1.1085500

LONDON LETTER/Rachel Donnelly: Awkward questions are again being asked about Labour's big money donors. The suspicion, which began in the early days of the Blair government with the Formula One affair, that industry figures waive their chequebooks and eventually secure special treatment has been revived.

Not only did the scene of Labour's first scandal come back to haunt them this week with fresh claims about Number 10's involvement with the Formula One boss in 1997 but the question of state funding for political parties is back on the political agenda.

Mr Blair is reportedly unconvinced of the argument for state funding. But on Monday two of his most senior colleagues, the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr John Prescott, and the Home Secretary, Mr David Blunkett, gave state funding their support after what some commentators described as Labour's "damaging entanglement" with several business donors over the past few months.

The charge at Labour's door - that government contracts and favourable treatment for big business follows on from donations to the Labour Party - returned at the weekend after it was revealed that drugs company, Powderject, had won a contract to supply the NHS with 20 million smallpox vaccines following a £500,000 donation to Labour from Powderject's boss, Mr Paul Drayson.