Cameron admits hosting donors in cash-for-access row

David Cameron admitted that he held meals for party donors at Downing Street and his official countryside residence.Cameron abruptly published details of the meetings a day after the treasurer of the Conservative Party resigned for trying to sell access to the premier to wealthy supporters in a newspaper sting.Peter Cruddas was filmed boasting that he could secure donors a private dinner with Cameron and an opportunity to shape government policy, in exchange for donations of 250,000 pounds ($396,000, 299,000 euros).Cameron broke into a pre-planned speech to admit that had hosted three dinners for supporters at his official residence in London since coming to power in 2010, and had met other donors at a fourth event there.Hours later he released a list of donors who had attended private lunches and dinners with him at Chequers, Camerons grace-and-favour residence in the English countryside to the west of London.The prime minister said the fundraisers remarks had been completely unacceptable and wrong and insisted no money had changed hands as a result of the talks.Cameron then sent senior Conservative minister Francis Maude to make a statement to lawmakers Monday on proposals to restart long-stalled reforms on party funding, in a further bid to quell the scandal.But opposition Labour leader Ed Miliband, in a heated exchange in the House of Commons, branded Maudes proposals a smokescreen.This is about the prime ministers chief fundraiser seeking cash for access, Miliband said, accusing Cameron of being too ashamed to face lawmakers himself because he has got something to hide.Miliband repeated his call for a full investigation, saying Camerons decision to launch an internal Conservative party inquiry was completely inadequate.In his resignation statement, Cruddas said the comments recorded by undercover reporters for the Sunday Times newspaper had been bluster and insisted money could not buy access to ministers.Cameron swiftly condemned the remarks but his Downing Street office rejected calls to publish details of his meetings with donors -- until the prime minister abruptly changed tack during a speech in London.There have been three occasions on which significant donors have come to dinner in my flat, Cameron said, adding that another dinner had been held in Downing Street for donors after the election.None of these had been fundraising events and they had largely involved old friends, he said, adding: Peter Cruddas has never recommended anyone to come to dinner in my flat, nor has he been to dinner there.Cameron also promised to publish all such future dinners, compile a register of major Tory donors who attend party fundraising events, and draw up new guidance for ministers on lobbying.The prime minister added that the row had proved there was an urgent need for party funding reform, after years of disagreement between his Conservative party, which relies on individual donations, and trade-union funded Labour.Concerns over lobbying in British politics are not new, but the timing of the latest row is damaging for the Conservatives as they battle claims of pandering to the rich after cutting the top rate of income tax last week.Their junior coalition partners, the Liberal Democrats, condemned Cruddass comments and backed calls for a reform of party funding.Rupert Murdoch, the owner of the Sunday Times whose media empire has been a headache for the prime minister in the past year, weighed in on Twitter, asking: What was Cameron thinking?Cameron has himself faced questions in the past year over his links to Murdochs empire.Hehas been forced to distance himself from two former editors of Murdochs now closed News of the World tabloid -- hisfriend Rebekah Brooks and former media advisor Andy Coulson -- after they were arrested over phone hacking.—AFP