£5000 Conservative Party donation was not made on behalf of Peterborough United insists chairman

It was revealed last week that the Conservative Party accepted a donation of £5,000 from a donor named “Peterborough United Football Club Ltd” on May 12, 2022. The donation was made on May 5.

Co-owners Mr MacAnthony and Dr Jason Neale both declined to comment directly to the Peterborough Telegraph but the chairman did speak on social media.

In response to a Tweet, Mr MacAnthony replied: “I have put over a million quid of my money into the club since October. I do nothing, but invest in the club. And this £5k has nothing to do with me, but I am looking into the how & why re it.”

And in a reply to another critic, Mr MacAnthony said: “I’ve never made a political donation in my life &, after Covid & my views on how various governments handled it which didn’t help our industry out in any meaningful way, the last thing I’d do is make one to anybody on any side.”

He has now further clarified the situation on his Hard Truth Podcast by adding: “I had no idea. I did not make the donation.

"I believe that somebody made it and there was an issue with the payment so they asked the club to do it on their behalf and then they were going to repatriate the club.

"It is nothing to do with Peterborough United, it will get cleared up. I promise that we would never go left or right, football clubs should never get involved in politics.”

Reasons for donations do not have to be declared when they are made.