EXCLUSIVE: 'Why is a company controlled by a Tory donor funnelling cash to backbench MPs?': Telecomms firm facing questions after it donated £31,500 to 11 Tory MPs over 20 days
- Eleven Conservative Party MPs declared a total of £31,000 worth of donations
- All of them came from broadband company IX Wireless Limited in Preston
- IX is controlled by another firm , where Tory Peer James Wharton is director
- Money went to MPs including Andrea Jenkyns and James Daly's campaign funds
- None of the politicians or the company would explain why donations were made
A controversial telecommunications firm with only one employee has paid 11 Conservative party MPs a total of £31,500 in just 20 days.
Broadband company IX Wireless Ltd, which is based in Preston, Lancs, has donated money to politicians' campaigns and groups linked to them.
The MPs range from one of the Prime Minister's trade envoys to a member of the Public Accounts Committee.
IX Wireless is controlled by a company called Cohiba Communications Limited, which holds at least a 75 per cent stake. One of Cohiba's directors is Tory peer James Wharton.
Most of the MPs are based in the north west of the country and all declared the donations between June 6 and July 19 this year. Seven of their constituencies are geographically near to where the firm has its networks.
Labour party chair and shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds questioned the decision to pay these specific MPs and why.
She told MailOnline: 'Every day seems to bring fresh revelations about the murky way money is flowing into the Conservative party, and to what end.
'The Conservatives clearly have questions to answer here. Why is a company controlled by a Tory donor funnelling cash to backbench MPs in certain parts of the country, and what is it expecting to get in return?
The 11 MPs, their constituencies and where IX Wireless has launched its own networks
This is the business park in Preston, Lancs, where IX Wireless is based and registered in papers
Tory peer James Wharton, former MP for Stockton South, is a director of a company called Cohiba Communications Limited, which holds a controlling stake of shares in IX Wireless
'This isn't the first time James Wharton has been in the spotlight for his activities, and voters have a right to know what is going on. There can't be one rule for high-ranking Conservatives, and another for everyone else.'
All of the amounts listed in the Register of Members Financial Interests are at least £1,000 but most cases do not explain how the money was used.
Of those that do, £2,000 donated to Andrea Jenkyns went to her campaign fund, as did a total of £3,500 to James Daly.
The sum of £2,500 declared by Richard Holden went to his local association, while £2,500 under James Davies' name was put in his community account.
All the other donations listed by Alexander Stafford, David Mundell, Simon Fell, Mark Jenkinson, Damien Moore, Matt Vickers and Christian Wakeford were not specified.
They are described as 'Support linked to an MP but received by a local party organisation or indirectly via a central party organisation'.
None of the MPs would explain why they had received the donations after being contacted by MailOnline.
And the company itself – which is based in an office park in Preston – did not respond when quizzed about the money and it went to those specific politicians.
MP Andrea Jenkyns had £2,000 donated to her which went to her campaign fund
James Daly, the MP for Bury North, had two donations totalling £3,500 for his campaign fund
Labour party chair and shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds called the donations 'murky'
IX Wireless's directors are Michael Ellwood, 60, and Philip Walker, 62. Both are involved in another internet firm called 6G Internet Limited.
Their website proudly features an endorsement from Oliver Dowden CBE, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
Talking about the launch of a network in Blackburn he described it as 'game changing'.
But it is currently locked in a dispute with families in Hyburn, Lancs, who do not want them to put up telegraph poles to run its network.
IX uses wooden posts, which support fibre cables above in the air – in contrast to those normally underground.
One local councillor said: 'It feels like residents and the council have been removed from the process. We appreciate people want faster broadband speeds. However, in Hyndburn we have one of the fastest. This isn't just one signal tower; this is the infrastructure, the telegraph poles. Certain areas have no mobile signal, but are not having these poles.'
The firm, whose latest accounts show net assets of £28million – also has broadband networks near to seven of the 11 MPs' constituencies.
Its most recent accounts papers say it only has one employee on its books.
IX Wireless Limited director Philip Walker, 62, at the launch of a Blackburn network this year
Cohiba Commincations Limited hold an over 75 per cent stake in IX Wireless Limited
James Wharton, former MP for Stockton South, and now Peer is a director of Cohiba
The MPs it has donated money to include some of the Conservative party's up and coming stars.
Mr Holden, who is the MP for North West Durham, serves on the Public Accounts Committee, which holds the Government to account for spending taxpayers' money.
Ms Jenkins, the MP for Morley and Outwood, is Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
Mr Mundell is the MP for Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale and is a former Secretary of State of Scotland.
MP for Rother Valley Alexander Stafford is a champion of environmental causes and is working to promote a national hydrogen strategy.
Mr Daly is the MP for Bury North while Dr Davies represents MP for the Vale of Clwyd and serves on the influential 1922 committee.
Mr Fell is the MP for Barrow and Furness and Mr Jenkinson is the MP for Workington.
Mr Moore is the MP for Southport and is currently the Prime Minister's Trade Envoy for Tunisia and Libya.
Mr Vickers is MP for Stockton South and has recently announced a £20million levelling up bid for his area, while Mr Wakeford is the MP for Bury South.
All 11 MPs declined to comment. IX Wireless Limited did not answer questions put to it. Lord Wharton did not respond to a request to comment.
