Tory leadership candidate Robert Jenrick squirmed under questioning over tens of thousands in cash donated by a company with no employees.
The Spott Fitness Ltd handed three payments totalling £75,000 to Mr Jenrick during July. But quizzed about the reason for the donations - or even the identity of the person behind them - on Sky News, Mr Jenrick gave evasive answers.
"As I understand it, this is a fitness company that operates in the UK. It's a perfectly legal and valid donation under British law, and we've set it out in the public domain in the way as one does with donations," he said. Host Trevor Philips replied: "Sorry, when you say 'as I understand it'...somebody's wanged you 75 grand and you don't really know who they are?"
"We do know who they are," Mr Jenrick insisted. "It's a company that does sports fitness technology in the UK. It's a perfectly valid and legal donation." Asked who owns the company, and why they are giving him money, Mr Jenrick said: "The owners of the company are set out on Companies' House in the normal way - and they obviously support as many do my vision for the future of the Conservative Party."
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The donations were properly declared and there's no suggestion of any wrongdoing on Mr Jenrick's part.
The firm is owned by Mark Dembovsky, a lawyer and consultant and fitness entrepreneur Benjamin Hudson. As of December last year, when the most recent accounts were published, the firm had no employees and £330,000 in financial liabilities. It has never turned a profit.
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Probed about the people behind the donations, Mr Jenrick continued to be evasive. "I've obviously met people who are involved with the company," he stammered. "It's a perfectly valid and normal donation." But he refused to name any names.
Tory members are preparing to select a new leader after Rishi Sunak announced he was standing down following the party's general election defeat in the summer.
Mr Jenrick, Kemi Badenoch, James Cleverly and Tom Tugendhat are all vying for the party leadership, and will get a chance to address the party's membership at the conference in Birmingham which gets under way today.
