A former Tory MP accused of withholding information about the source of £39,000 donated to his election “fighting fund” has told a jury he did not know the money was provided by a property developer.
David Mackintosh, the MP for Northampton South between 2015 and 2017, is standing trial alongside businessman Howard Grossman, who is accused of using third parties to conceal the source of nine separate donations to the Northampton South Conservative Association during 2014.
In the third week of a trial at Warwick Crown Court, Mackintosh, the Conservatives’ former national head of campaigns, said he did not know any of the third parties’ donations had been provided by Grossman.
The 44-year-old, also a former leader of Northampton Borough Council and a European Parliament whips’ office worker, told the court he had a “working knowledge of compliance for donations” but was “by no means an expert”.
Answering questions from his KC Cairns Nelson, Mackintosh said he became the leader of Northampton Borough Council in 2011 and was involved in a 40-project regeneration scheme, which included looking at opportunities to increase capacity at Northampton Town’s Sixfields stadium.
Mackintosh said he first met Grossman at his council office in Northampton’s Guildhall in September 2012, at a meeting with potential developers and investors.
Asked by Mr Nelson to describe the meeting’s purpose, Mackintosh said: “Essentially it was to promote Northampton. He (Grossman) told me he was a Conservative Party supporter.”
Mackintosh, who relinquished his role at the council when he was elected as an MP in May 2015, was asked by Mr Nelson: “In any of your dealings as leader of the borough council, or indeed as an MP, did you give any favours to Mr Grossman?”
Mackintosh said: “No.”
The former MP told the jury he had met one of several third parties who donated money to his constituency party and was unaware Grossman was the source of a £10,000 sum apparently donated by the man.
Recounting how he met the third party in a car park while leaving a restaurant, Mackintosh said: “I said to him, ‘I would like to thank you for making the donation’. He said, ‘That’s OK’ and he shrugged.
“I remember thinking, ‘Imagine being so wealthy that you could donate £10,000 and just shrug’. Obviously years later the conversation made more sense.”
During further questioning, Mackintosh said he believed a total of nine donations had come from the third parties named in documentation provided to his local party.
Mr Nelson asked Mackintosh: “Before or during the time when you were an MP or leader of the borough council, did you do anything or not do anything because of donations from Mr Grossman?”
The ex-MP said: “No.”
Commenting on his decision to stand down and not seek re-selection by his local party in 2017, Mackintosh said: “Obviously these allegations played a part.
“But my local party had made my life unbearable.
“Jo Cox, a friend of mine, had been murdered. I had just had enough.”
It's never nice to be accused of something that you have not done. It's not been very easy— Ex-MP David Mackintosh
Invited to describe how things had been for him during the six-year investigation into the allegations, Mackintosh added: “It’s never nice to be accused of something that you have not done.
“It’s not been very easy.”
Before Mackintosh’s evidence, the jury was told the indictment against the defendants was being amended after legal argument, and that Mr Grossman had decided not to give evidence in his defence.
Both Mackintosh, of Northampton, and Grossman, 61, from Bushey in Hertfordshire, were found not guilty on the directions of the judge on Tuesday of two counts of failing to ensure details were provided in respect of political donations during 2014.
Jurors were told two charges of withholding information from the treasurer of registered party had been added to the indictment.
The new charges, denied by both defendants, allege they withheld information about a person or body making a total of nine donations with intent to deceive between April and May 2014 and June and September 2014.
After the fresh charges were read to the jury, references were read to the court by two friends of Grossman, who described him as a “truly delightful man” and an “unforgettable character”.
The trial continues.
