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Dover Tory PPC Charlie Elphicke has apparently donated £7000 of his own money to his party since becoming a candidate according to the 'Follow the Money' Times Online blog.

The blog looks at the constituency which is Tory target seat number 90. For an overall majority in the General Election, this seat, plus 27 more, are needed for an overall Tory majority of 1.

The blog explains that Gwyn Prosser, Dover’s Labour MP since 1997, is defending a 5,061 notional majority over the Conservatives in this Kent seat.

His challenger, Charlie Elphicke is a partner at law firm Hunton and Williams and a research fellow at the Centre for Policy Studies. He was selected as a candidate in June 2007. Mr Elphicke is a regular contributor to the Conservative Home website, a grassroots party forum. He also uses Twitter, where he has supported the KerryOut campaign and has a blog with an ‘Elphicke TV’ application.

Alex Ralph writing on the blog looks at the finances of both local parties.

He writes: "Labour funding is healthy. The 2008 annual accounts (latest available) show an income of £38,148, just over £7,000 of which is from donations and £2,518 from fundraising. Since 2008 Mr Prosser’s constituency party has been given £1,500 in three donations, all of which came from super union Unite. In the 2001-2005 Parliament, Mr Prosser’s constituency registered around £18,000 in donations, roughly half of which was from union GMB.

"Tory funding: Dover Conservatives 2008 annual accounts show an income of £35,495, fractionally up on the £34,706 they received the previous year and higher than the £31,920 in election year 2005. This included £14,222 in “Fighting Fund” donations, of which £3,000 came from CCHQ and £1,265 from members. A further £10,262 came from subscriptions and £3,651 came from branch fundraising. The Electoral Commission lists £12,136 in donations direct to the constituency.

"In total, the Tories have registered £15,216 in direct donations since Mr Elphicke became the candidate.

"Mr Elphicke has donated almost half himself via two donations in March and October 2008. George Hammond Plc, a company at “the forefront of shipping activities in the English Channel and the North Sea”, has donated £4,000 in two donations, while United & Cecil Club gave £3,000 and Stephen Manion, vice chair of Dover District Council, gave £1,080. £3,500 has also been given by Ruxley Ventures Ltd, for Mr Elphicke’s website."

In the 2009 Kent county elections, the Conservatives won the remaining five wards in the seat.

Full blog story