Political Favouritism or Genuine Support? Jonathan Brash’s £5,000 Donation Controversy...

The Hartlepool Labour Party MP has sparked controversy over claims he's returning a political favour to a local company who donated £5k towards his successful election campaign this year.

16th December 2024

Hartlepool’s Labour MP Jonathan Brash finds himself once again under the public spotlight, after revelations that his election campaign was partly funded by a £5,000 donation from Tanglewood Games Ltd, a company based in Hartlepool.

What’s supposedly raised a few concerned eyebrows isn’t just the donation itself but Mr. Brash’s subsequent public actions: after he released a promotional video on his parliamentary social media page in which he explicitly names Tanglewood Games Ltd as the sponsor of the publication of a number of Christmas Cards, the very company that just ironically financially supported his election campaign.

This incident is likely to spark a heated debate about the fine line between legitimate support and political favouritism. Did the MP’s public acknowledgement of Tanglewood Games, one of his political donors cross ethical boundaries? And, more importantly, how does this impact public trust in the democratic process?

The £5,000 Question

The Business Tanglewood Games Ltd is said to be based in office space located at Hartlepool's Tranquillity House

Political donations are commonplace in modern democracies, but transparency and accountability are essential to ensure they don’t undermine the public’s faith in elected officials.

The concern in this case lies in the optics of the situation. By prominently naming the company in his video, Mr. Brash, according to some claim he has unintentionally (or otherwise) blurred the lines between political gratitude and promotional endorsement.

Tanglewood Games Ltd arent short of a few bob either, according to the details we found as part of our investigation.

Based at Hartlepool's Tranquillity House, but according to Companies House register to an address in the towns Clifton Avenue, The firm's said to be sitting on a bank account balance of over half a million pounds & around £100k worth of tangible assets. Claiming Exemption to auditing under section 477 of the Companies Act means sadly no details are revealed as to the firms corporation tax affairs, however What Brash's affiliation is with the company seemingly remains at this moment to be a mystery...

Critics claim his move was the return of a political favour, a move that was seemingly confirmed after Mr Brash promptly blocked a local social media page who discovered it & made the connection...

Critics however argue Mr Brash's most recent political stunt smacks of a “political favour returned” – essentially, an indirect form of advertising for the company under the guise of political discourse. Such actions risk creating the perception that political access and representation seemingly can be bought, a notion that erodes trust in the system.

The Fallout for Public Trust

Public trust in politicians is already said to be at a low ebb. When an elected MP appears to use their platform to promote a private business, especially one that has financially contributed to their success, it raises some very uncomfortable questions:

The controversy has reignited calls for stricter rules regarding campaign donations and the behaviour of MPs in relation to their donors. Whilst there’s no suggestion of any illegality in Mr. Brash’s actions, critics argue the lack of clear boundaries invites ethical grey areas, with Mr. Brash now said to be facing a critical moment in his political career as its claimed Labours popularity in the town has sunk to its lowest levels since his election & Reform UK seemingly waiting in the shadows getting ready for the next set of elections where its claims locally, Labours set to be punished at the ballot box.