Tories defend £21,000 donation from wife of healthcare chief

A 21,000 payment to the personal office of Shadow Health Secretary Andrew Lansley was listed in the latest Electoral Commission register as being from John Nash.

The private equity tycoon is the chairman of Care UK, which provides walk-in centres, GP surgeries and treatment centres and a range of specialist care and children's services to the NHS.

News of the donation sparked demands from Labour for an "urgent explanation" from Tory leader David Cameron over whether it was right to accept money from individuals with a "vested interest".

The Electoral Commission later confirmed that the money had been given by Mr Nash's wife, in the name of Mrs John Nash, but an "administrative error" made the register entry unclear.

Health Secretary Andy Burnham wrote to Mr Cameron, suggesting Mr Lansley's decision to accept the gift raised "major questions about the independence of Conservative policy-making".

He asked the Tory leader whether he considered it acceptable for members of his Shadow Cabinet "to accept private donations from companies that have a vested interest in their policy areas".

Mr Burnham's spokeswoman said the fact that the donation was made by Mrs Nash made it "more suspicious".

In the letter, the Health Secretary demanded to know if Care UK had been involved in any meetings or discussions relating to Tory health policy with Mr Lansley, Mr Cameron, Shadow Chancellor George Osborne or any other representatives of the party.

He asked Mr Cameron to publish full details of any communications between his party and Care UK as well as information about any other donations to Tory frontbenchers by companies with an interest in their policy portfolios.

"At a time when public confidence in the political system has been shaken, we all have a responsibility to be as transparent as possible about the access given to stakeholders, particularly those who stand to benefit commercially from policy decisions," Mr Burnham wrote.

"This is particularly important in the field of health policy, where there is still uncertainty about your precise plans for the NHS in government."

A Tory spokesman said the party had been "completely transparent" about the donation, informing the Parliamentary register of interests as well as the Electoral Commission.

"John Nash and his wife have a wide range of interests, of which Care UK is just one," said the spokesman. "This donation to support Mr Lansley's office was made through Conservative Campaign HQ. Mr Lansley did not solicit this donation. Donations from private individuals in no way influence policy making decisions."

Liberal Democrat health spokesman Norman Lamb said that the donation created "a staggering conflict of interest which completely undermines the Tories' claim that the NHS would be safe in their hands".

Mr Lamb added: "Many people will question Andrew Lansley's judgment and the impact that these donations have on Conservative health policy.

"With Labour in the pockets of the unions and the Tories taking money from private health firms, only the Liberal Democrats can be trusted to run our NHS."

A spokesman for Care UK said the company had no comment.

Tory aides later pointed out that Gordon Brown received a 5,000 donation to his campaign for the Labour leadership in 2007 from Lord Leitch, the chairman of private healthcare firm Bupa. In 2008, Lord Leitch spoke in the House of Lords in favour of the work of the private sector within the NHS, telling peers: "The independent sector is more important than ever, providing services directly to patients, residents, insurers, and to the NHS itself." Labour sources dismissed the comparison as "pathetic", saying a Labour peer donating to a leadership campaign was "very different to being a beneficiary of health policy and donating to the office where health policy is developed".