THE Tories have been rebuked for saying donations don't have any influence on government policy as the SNP said they "can't hide from the fact their party is mired in sleaze".
It comes amid mounting pressure on the Conservative Party to reveal which ministers have met with party donors through a secretive club.
The Financial Times reported last week that the club was developed in a bid to connect Tory supporters with senior figures, adding that regular meetings and calls have been held with Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak.
The newspaper quoted Mohamed Amersi, a businessman and Tory donor, as saying the club was “like the very elite Quintessentially clients membership: one needs to cough up £250,000 per annum or be a friend of Ben”.
READ MORE: Tory co-chair defends donations system amid fresh 'sleaze' criticism
The name was a reference to Conservative Party co-chair Ben Elliot.
But Tories have defended their donors with Transport Minister Grant Shapps saying today that the donors are not "immoral" and that they have no influence on government policy.
However, that claim has been called false by Scottish opposition parties and a campaign group.
SNP MP Tommy Sheppard said: “The Tories can’t hide from the facts - their party is mired in cronyism and sleaze.
“From siphoning public money to pals for political polling during the pandemic to multi-million pound PPE contracts being gifted to unqualified Tory donors, Boris Johson’s party is rotten to the core and part of a Westminster system that is utterly failing Scotland.”
Tory party co-chair Amanda Milling has also hit back at critics saying donations are "entirely separate" from government policy.
But Scottish Greens MSP Ross Greer said party supporters are making big donations in the knowledge they will receive something in return.
He said: “Nobody with an ounce of morality would donate to the Tory party.
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"Rich benefactors do it because they know they’ll get something in return; whether that’s a seat next to the planning minister at a function, a coronavirus procurement contract worth hundreds of millions of pounds, or even a peerage.”
Jo Maugham, Director of Good Law Project added: "Let's be honest - no one pays a quarter of a million quid a year for the sheer joy of having dinner with a politician.
"If there really is no funny business going on then one imagines they'll be happy to let journalists attend too?"
The Conservative Party has been contacted for comment.
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