Ex-Tory MP Acquitted of Plan to Disguise £39,000 Worth of Donations

An undated image of the Palace of Westminster, home of the House of Commons, in London. Jonathan Brady/PA

A former Conservative MP and a property developer have been cleared of cooking up a plan to disguise £39,000 worth of donations to a political election fund.

David Mackintosh, 44, who represented Northampton South between 2015 and 2017, was acquitted on Tuesday of withholding information about the source of the £39,000, which was donated to his election fund in 2014.

The jury at Warwick Crown Court also found businessman Howard Grossman, 61, not guilty of using third parties to conceal the source of nine separate donations to the Northampton South Conservative Association in 2014.

Jurors deliberated for five days before clearing both men, by majority verdicts, of two charges of withholding information from the treasurer of a registered party between April and May 2014 and June and September 2014.

It was the first time anyone has been prosecuted at a crown court for an alleged breach of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (PPERA), which was introduced by Sir Tony Blair’s Labour government in a bid to tackle political corruption.

PPERA was passed following recommendations by the Committee on Standards in Public Life, which sought to make political donations more transparent.

The Act introduced new measures on registering political parties, donations and campaign expenditures.

‘Underhand’ Donations

When the trial began last month the prosecutor, William Boyce, KC,, claimed Mr. Grossman made “underhand” donations to Mr. Mackintosh’s campaign using several intermediaries.

Mr. Boyce claimed three donations of £10,000 each and six of £1,500 each had been made by Mr. Grossman, using intermediaries to disguise the true source.

The jury heard Mr. Mackintosh was introduced to Al Mayfield, who was one of the £10,000 donors, at a fundraising gala for the Amy Winehouse Foundation and both men had visited the set of soap opera EastEnders in the company of Mr. Grossman’s wife, Mandy.

Another of the £10,000 donors, Gary Platt, emailed Mr. Grossman asking him, “Are you 100 percent this is above board?” to which the businessman replied it was, “all kosher and good,” Mr. Boyce added.

Mr. Boyce said Mr. Mackintosh, who was at the time the leader of Northampton Borough Council—which no longer exists—shared an interest in the redevelopment of Northampton Town football club’s Sixfields Stadium with Mr. Grossman.

Mr. Grossman chose not to give evidence at the trial but Mr. Mackintosh told the jury he did not know any of the third parties’ donations had been provided by Mr. Grossman.

Former MP ‘by no Means an Expert’ on Donations Compliance

Mr. Mackintosh said he only had a “working knowledge of compliance for donations” and was “by no means an expert.”

It can now be reported that five other defendants have previously pleaded guilty to offences under PPERA in connection with the case.

Mr. Mayfield, 67, was fined £6,000 in 2021, while Nirav Sheth, 50, and Leonard Western, 73, received suspended prison sentences in Jan. 2023.

Gary Platt, 67, and Sharad Bhimjiyani, 68, are still awaiting sentencing.

In a statement issued after the acquittals, Northamptonshire Police said, “This was an important test case as it was the first time these offences have been prosecuted and we respect the jury’s decision after five days of deliberation.”

“While David Mackintosh and Howard Grossman were acquitted, it should be remembered that five individuals have pleaded guilty to facilitating the disguised payments,” the force added.

Mr. Mackintosh was selected as the Tory candidate for Northampton South in December 2013 after Brian Binley decided to retire, at the age of 73.

He was elected in May 2015, with a slightly reduced majority of 3,793.

In 2017, he was threatened with deselection by the local Conservative Party after he was criticised over a £10 million loan which the council had made to Northampton Town football club for a stand which had not been completed.

Mr. Mackintosh announced he would not fight the 2017 election and he was replaced by Andrew Lewer, a former Conservative MEP for the East Midlands, who remains the seat’s MP.

In 2021, Northampton Borough Council was abolished and replaced by West Northamptonshire Council.

PA Media contributed to this report.