Robert Jenrick faced tough questioning from Good Morning Britain host Susanna Reid after details emerged about a £75,000 donation he received from a company with no employees and significant debt.
The former immigration minister was pressed on donations from The Spott Fitness, which has raised eyebrows due to its financial status and connections to the British Virgin Islands (BVI).
The Spott Fitness, which made three separate £25,000 donations to Jenrick in July, is registered with Companies House but has no employees and current liabilities of £330,000. It is also linked to a loan from Centrovalli, a BVI-based firm, though the amount of the loan has not been disclosed. The company is run by two directors, Mark Dembovsky and Benjamin Hodson.
Jenrick Defends the Donations
When asked about the legitimacy of the donations, Jenrick responded by stating, “As I understand it, this is a fitness company that operates in the UK. It’s a perfectly legal and valid donation under British law, and we’ve set it out in the public domain as required.”
However, when pressed for more details on the company’s ownership and operations, the Conservative leadership hopeful deflected, saying that information about the company is available on Companies House. He added that he had “met people involved in the company” but did not provide specific details.
A Growing Controversy
Jenrick’s defence comes amid criticism from both the public and political opponents, particularly as he has been vocal in condemning donations received by the Labour Party. The former minister has called out Labour for what he described as “rank hypocrisy” after it was revealed that Sir Keir Starmer had accepted over £100,000 in gifts since 2019. Jenrick claimed Labour had given special access to wealthy donors, a point he reiterated during his interview.
“They spent years complaining about other political parties and then they’ve chosen to take from donors and cronies and to give passes to Number 10 in response,” Jenrick said.
Questions Remain
While Jenrick has maintained that the donations from The Spott Fitness are fully compliant with British law, the connection to a company registered in the BVI, a known tax haven, has raised concerns. Critics argue that more transparency is needed, particularly given the company’s financial difficulties and lack of employees.
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