Michael Crick highlights a potential fly in the ointment concerning Rupert Murdoch's pledge to put the Sun's money behind Kelvin MacKanezie at Haltemprice and Howden:
Former editor of the Sun newspaper Kelvin Mackenzie has indicated that he's 90% certain to stand as a pro 42 days candidate in the Haltemprice and Howden by-election; caused by the resignation of David Davis.
And on the BBC's This Week programme he revealed that his old boss Rupert Murdoch had offered to back his campaign financially:
"Rupert suggested to me that if Labour didn't put anyone up, that I would run against David Davis, if that's the case - and Rupert says he's good for the money... I might well do it," Mr Mackenzie said.
But there is one problem with that.
Mr Murdoch is an American citizen and so under British law is not allowed to contribute funds to any UK election campaign.
Perhaps Mr Murdoch will try to channel his funds through his business - NewsCorp - but that would also be illegal since NewsCorp is also American I suppose Murdoch and Mackenzie could try and fund the campaign through one of Murdoch's British subsidiary companies. But that surely would make a mockery of our laws for foreign funding of British elections.
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