The Tories, Private Health Companies and the NHS

Last September the Daily Mirror revealed some interesting facts about Tory party funding – specifically linked to Circle, ‘Europe’s largest [private] healthcare partnership’, which has taken over Hinchingbrooke hospital.

As so often in these cases, the links were far from transparent.
According to the Mirror
‘Circle’s leading shareholders are Lansdowne Partners, Invesco Perpetual, BlueCrest and Odey Asset Management.
Lansdowne Partners holds a 29% stake, Invesco Perpetual 21.9%, Odey Asset Management 21.1% and BlueCrest Capital 7.1%.
The boss of Lansdowne Partners, Sir Paul Ruddock, donated £630,000 to the Tory party.
The Chief Executive Officer of Odey Asset Management Crispin Odey has given £242,000, Sir Martyn Arbib of Invesco Perpetual £413,000 and BlueCrest founder Michael Platt £125,000.
The companies said there was no link between the donations to the Tories – made privately by individuals and not by the firms – and each company’s business investments.’

Andy Burnham commented at the time…