David Hencke, Westminster correspondent
Thursday November 17, 2005
The Guardian

The size of the divide between the two Davids in their contest to lead the Tories was revealed yesterday by the disclosure of the big-name donors backing them in the register of members' interests.

But the backers of David Cameron are more often wealthy philanthropists, stockbrokers, private bankers and media moguls including the former Carlton boss Michael Green, who now runs Tangent Industries. Mr Cameron's campaign is likely to exceed the £100,000 spending limit, because some of his backers donated money before the starting date of the leadership election was declared.

The register divides his backers into those funding his office as education spokesman and those backing his leadership bid since the race officially began. His office backers include Mike Balfour, the entrepreneur behind the Fitness First chain of gyms, and Simon Wolfson, chairman of the retailer Next. Irvine Laidlaw, a Scottish businessman based in Monaco, funds his office - and gave money simultaneously to his defeated rival, Liam Fox.

Mr Cameron's campaign backers include Lord Sainsbury of Preston Candover, PR man Lord Chadlington, and an Anglo-Dutch stockbroker and private bank called Insinger de Beaufort. He has also received a personal donation from the Scottish grain merchants Border Harvesters.

Mr Davis has support from the entrepreneur Lord Kalms, Tory donor Henry Angest of the Arbuthnot Banking Group, and Robin Birley from Annabel's nightclub. He also recruited to his cause one of the sons of the late zoo owner, casino operator and friend of the disappeared peer Lord Lucan, John Aspinall.

Other supporters include John Goulandris, a Greek businessman whose family shipping firm is worth more than £1bn.

The rest of Mr Davis's donors seemed to be based in the City and the property market.

Both Davids have one donor in common - who will be happy whoever gets the leadership prize. Mike Spencer of Intercapital Property, who lives in Tunstall Hall near Woodbridge, Suffolk, is a longstanding party donor and is financing both campaigns.

Yesterday Mr Davis distanced himself from his younger rival. Attacking Mr Cameron's support for Labour when he believes the party is right, he said: "I will do no deals with Tony Blair. I will have no truck with those who argue that because there is some merit in Blair's plans, because he has taken a couple of minor and ineffective steps in our direction, we should prop him up in the Commons.

"This is nonsense. Blair's public service reforms are half-baked compromises between his increasingly mutinous left and his dwindling ranks of New Labour supporters. They will not work and they deserve to be rejected."

Leading supporters

Supporting David Davis

Frederick Forsyth, author of The Day of the Jackal. Eurosceptic with particular dislike for Kenneth Clarke, whose achievements as chancellor he once described as "a record of failure which ... has never been matched".

Lord Kalms, life president of Dixons, the electrical retailer he built up from a single store to a European giant. Former party treasurer, passionate supporter of keeping the pound, admirer of Lady Thatcher.

Supporting David Cameron

Lord Sainsbury of Preston Candover. Not to be confused with his cousin, multimillionaire Lord Sainsbury of Turville, donor of millions to Labour. This branch of Sainsbury's supermarket empire is unashamedly Tory.

Lord Chadlington of Dean, brother of John Gummer, former Tory environment secretary. Peter Gummer, as he used to be known, is chief executive of Huntsworth, a £50m public relations company. Passionate supporter of the arts, latest interest is prison reform.