Ashcroft monies in Edinburgh

The whole Ashcroft funding saga has mainly been a story of national significance - BBC coverage from this evening can be found here ...

... but it is worth having a look at the Electoral Commission's web-site here; select Conservative Party in the first drop-down menu; then enter Edinburgh Pentlands in the second box; then simply press search.

Result - over £14,000 donated to Edinburgh Pentlands Conservatives from "Bearwood Corporate Services Ltd." (a long-standing Ashcroft company!) during the 2005 General Election period.

This is somewhat contradictory to the assertion contained in a recent letter that a Tory MSP wrote to his local newspaper:

"The Scottish Conservative party raises all its finance within Scotland and does not benefit from any financial support from Lord Ashcroft."

Well, that's just not true is it?

And one can't help wonder how many other Ashcroft-donations have now been made in Edinburgh?