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One seat, two candidates accused of buying their chance to become its MP

How a Labour lobbying boss and a Tory nepo-baby ‘paid’ their way onto the ballot in rural Suffolk

By Ethan Shone
One seat, two candidates accused of buying their chance to become its MP
Both main party candidates are accused of 'buying' their chance to represent Central Suffolk and North Ipswich | James Battershill
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What do the Tory and Labour candidates for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich have in common?

Both were selected to run in the constituency after they (or their dad) made six-figure donations to their respective parties.

In Labour’s case, lobby firm boss Kevin Craig handed £100,000 to the party before being selected unopposed. The Tories, meanwhile, chose Patrick Spencer after his father, a billionaire Tory peer and former treasurer, as well as a longtime donor, gave the party £250,000 — his largest donation in several years.

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Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0