Education Secretary Michael Gove / Image courtesy of Regional Government
Private Eye reveals in its new issue that education secretary Michael Gove – who already attracts more political donations than any other Cabinet minister – has received funds from a rather surprising source: an Azerbaijani nappy company.Rifling through the latest register of MPs’ interests, the Eye noticed a £3,000 donation to Gove’s Surrey Heath constituency party from Dilman UK. This company is owned by UK-based Shahrivar Mahmoud-Zadeh, who owns ‘Azerbaijan’s leading tissue and nappy maker’, and is also a member of lobbying group the Anglo-Azerbaijani Society.
As the Eye points out, ‘This isn’t the largest slice of Azerbaijan-linked cash in British politics.’
To read the Bureau’s investigation on Lobbying’s Hidden Influence, click here.
In August, the Bureau revealed the Europe-Azerbaijan Society had provided all-expenses paid trips to the country for a number of MPs. Several of these MPs went on to speak favourably about the country in a Commons debate, although others raised concerns about the country’s human rights record...read more
http://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/2011/12/21/bureau-recommends-goves-azerbaijani-backers/
