Rocco Forte
Rocco Giovanni Forte (born January 1945)[1] is a multi-millionaire hotelier and has been a donor to the Conservative Party[2] since at least the early nineties. He also gives financial backing to the Taxpayers' Alliance.[3]
Vote Leave donor
The Electoral Commission's register shows Forte donated £12,000 on 24 March 2016 to the Vote Leave campaign, the lead group campaigning to persuade British voters to leave the European Union in a UK referendum on 23 June 2016. [4]
Forte is listed as a supporter of the Open Europe think tank, which states that it has a neutral position on the EU referendum despite its longstanding Eurosceptic stance and push for EU reform.
Donations
Recorded by the Electoral Commission:
| Date | Name of donor | Amount | Donated to |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18/06/2001 | Sir Rocco Forte | £2,500.00 | The Rt Hon Michael Portillo MP |
| 28/08/2002 | Mr Rocco Forte | £1,500.00 | Conservative and Unionist Party |
| 28/02/2002 | Mr Rocco Forte | £5,000.00 | Conservative and Unionist Party |
| 03/12/2003 | Rocco Forte | £400.00 | Conservative and Unionist Party |
| 03/12/2003 | Mr Rocco Forte | £5,000.00 | Conservative and Unionist Party |
| 08/04/2005 | Sir Rocco Forte Ltd | £10,000.00 | Conservative and Unionist Party |
| 10/04/2007 | Sir Rocco Forte Limited | £10,000.00 | Scottish Voice |
| 13/05/2015 | Sir Rocco Forte Limited | £2,500.00 | Conservative and Unionist Party |
| 24/03/2016 | Rocco Forte | £12,000.00 | Vote Leave |
| 04/05/2016 | Rocco Forte | £30,000.00 | Vote Leave |
Affiliations
Conservative Party | Taxpayers' Alliance | Bruges Group[6] | Open Europe (Advisory board member)[7]
Notes
- ↑ Rocco Giovanni Forte, 'Companies House', Accessed 7/10/1986
- ↑ Lisa Buckingham, OUTLOOK: FORTE LOOKS FOR DOLLAR BOOKINGS, the Guardian, 2-October-1992
- ↑ Robert Booth, Front: Politics: Big money alliance at heart of the low tax campaign: Taxpayers Alliance portrays itself as voice of the people, but where does its £1m funding come from?, the Guardian, 10-October-2009
- ↑ Electoral Commissions, Donor Search, accessed 13 May 2016
- ↑ Electoral Commission, Rocco Forte Donation Search, accessed 17 June 2016
- ↑ Mary Ann Sieghart, The twin angry men behind outburst against Major, the Times, 12-April-1991
- ↑ Open Europe Board, June 2016, OpenEurope, accessed 15 June 2016