Whilst the political news is dominated by the story of a £10m donation to the Tory party by a donor accused of racism, it seems timely to look at another donation made earlier this year to Tory MP Guy Opperman, Minister for Roads and Local Transport, although there is no suggestion that the donor in this case is a racist.
As well as being a Government Minister, Opperman is the Conservative MP for Hexham in Northumberland, a constituency that includes a number of grouse moors in the North Pennines AONB (now re-named a National Landscape) and Northumberland National Park.
Unlike some of his Conservative colleagues, Opperman is not especially known as being an outspoken, hardcore supporter of the blood sports industry, although he has popped up occasionally, being seen to participate in a few PR stunts led by the Moorland Association.
Here he is in 2017 attending a Parliamentary reception for the Moorland Association:
And here he is in 2019 visiting gamekeepers on the Knarsdale grouse moor, featuring in a Moorland Association propaganda piece about how great grouse moors are for merlins (unfortunately this moor isn’t quite so good for hen harriers – this is where the shot corpse of hen harrier ‘Dagda‘ was found last year – nobody has been prosecuted, natch, but I’ll be writing more about that case in due course):
Hansard shows Opperman also spoke in Parliament in 2014 supporting the Moorland Association and describing gamekeepers as ‘custodians of the countryside’, although he also said he was supportive of the RSPB and its campaign to ban lead ammunition:
And just this morning there’s a local article (here) about Opperman visiting local stores that have been nominated for a Countryside Alliance award, although his visit does seem to be more about his particular support for a local business as opposed to blindly supporting the nasty brigade at the Countryside Alliance.
So I think it’s fair to say that Opperman isn’t a dyed-in-the-wool grouse shooting supporter, and his current Ministerial responsibilities seem to bear no significance for the grouse shooting industry.
How curious then, that in January this year his register of interests showed up this £10,000 donation from an unassuming-sounding company called GMS Partnership Ltd:
Who they?
Well according to Companies House, GMS Partnership Ltd is a ‘management consultancy’ whose sole director is none other than Andrew Gilruth, the recently-appointed Chief Executive of the Moorland Association:
I’ve previously written about Gilruth’s ‘interesting’ Directorship of another company, Moorland Communities Tradition, here, although Companies House is showing that he resigned as a Director of that outfit on 18 December 2023, leaving it in the capable hands of William van Cutsem and Jonathan Kennedy.
There’s no suggestion that the £10,000 donation made in January 2024 to Opperman from GMS Partnership Ltd is underhand (unlike allegations made about some of the donations Opperman has previously accepted (see here but also here where a Government probe cleared Opperman) but the donation from GMS Partnership Ltd is certainly interesting given Gilruth’s new role as Chief Exec of the Moorland Association.
One to watch.
Raptor Persecution UK 
Top quality research, Ruth.
That’s a substantial chunk of money.
Inevitably, MPs are liable to be compromised by such donations. They should always be declared when taking part in debates/ voting.
If Raptor Persecution had a whip-round, I wonder how many MPs would accept any ensuing donation.
Wonder how his proclaimed support for a ban on the use of lead shot went down with his shooting friends. Clearly not too badly as suggested by the GMS donation to his funds. I note that he also took a pretty hefty swipe at NE – comparing them unfavourably against those true guardians of the countryside we know so well.
Well dug out Ruth, it just shows the shooting mob’s insidious work. BTW was the MP ever reported to the police for blatant Merlin chick bothering?!? No, of course not because there’s nothing wrong in what he was doing…
Looking at the private donations to this MP a number are from
“a number are from…” ?
Isn’t Van Cutsem 1 of the people behind Songbird Survival whose main aim is a cull on all birds of prey to get rid of things such as Merlin?
Companies House list a Hugh Van Cutsem (retired) of Hilborough House, Hilborough, Thetford, Norfolk IP26 5BQ as being appointed a Director of “Songbird Survival” (Company No 04078747) on 1/10/2009.
Companies House also list a Hugh Van Cutsem as having resigned as Director of ‘Songbird Survival” on 4/10/2011.
The last Annual Return (list of officers) on the Companies House web site may be found here:
https://tinyurl.com/mr29apyv
It is unlikely anyone would donate that sort of money without expecting something in return.
Below is an extract from my letter – one of many – to my MP, Guy Opperman, in September 2019. I received no reply. His replies to subsequent enquiries particular to moorland, biodiversity have generally block-quoted Conservative Central Office hand-outs.
Dear Guy Opperman,
I have in recent years contacted you with regard to issues arising from the use of moorlands and the continuation of good environmental practice subsequent to Britain’s departure from the EU. On those three occasions, I received no response but was subsequently aware that you had not taken part in any of the votes or enquiries regarding those issues; which one can only construe as being deliberate omissions, given that you represent one of the largest moorland and rural constituencies in England.
His lack of commitment beyond automated responses, has become increasingly evident – however, the recent receipt of £10K from GMS Partnership Ltd would perhaps suggest the reason for his ability to keep his head below the parapet.
As one might expect round here: I live in neighbouring North Northumberland, neé Berwick upon Tweed, constituency and our MP doesn’t bother replying to any issue I raise with her, either local or national, while continuing to say that folk aren’t interested in whatever.
I note also that Opperman is trotting out the usual guff about numbers of jobs related to shooting. “Thousands”? Give over Guy! I worked for years in Tynedale, was based in Hexham and there really are not “thousands”, let alone hundreds, of jobs in the area depending on shooting, not even if you include North Northumberland and the Durham Dales.
well said Murmur the usual political bollocks and same old same old trying to keep well in . Why didn’t he donate to raptor persecution or .ark doing his run in April much more use .
If Chris Packham can be reported for sniffing a Goshawk chick can’t he be reported for manhandling a Merlin chick? I mean, they are both schedule 1!