Is Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell really up to the job of being in charge of the nation’s finances?
It turns out a company of which he is a trustee, radio station Hayes FM, failed to comply with the most basic Companies House rule by not submitting its Annual Return on time, risking a fine of up to £5,000.
Hayes FM, which also has charitable status, is a community radio station based in McDonnell’s constituency. It is funded through donations and advertising.
In 2014, McDonnell personally signed off its accounts, which noted that he had lent the station £3,400 to cover a rental payment.
According to yesterday’s Hayes FM schedule, he was also listed as a guest on a show broadcast at 10am.
Oddly, when Heat Street pointed out to McDonnell’s office yesterday that the documents were long overdue, the secretary of Hayes FM, Helen Lowder, contacted us a couple of hours later to say the documents were filed…yesterday.
She didn’t specify what time this happened but the coincidence wasn’t lost on us.
Yesterday footage emerged from 2014 of McDonnell advocating the assassination of Margaret Thatcher. We include it here to illustrate how he likes to spend his time:
Heat Street also asked Companies House yesterday about the status of the Diane Abbott Foundation, set up to help black children in education. This grandly titled organisation, run by new shadow health secretary Abbott, also has charitable status.
All the spokesman would say is that Abbott’s accounts should have been filed in September 2015 – 10 months ago. He indicated the foundation is about to be struck off.
In April, Jeremy Corbyn admitted that he had been fined £100 for submitting his tax return late.
It’s enough to make you think the Labour front bench is badly organised.