I said the 'Osborne donation-that-never-was' story was a non-story and that is what has transpired, a full week after the media frenzy.
The media clearly thought that it had a decent story what with powerful individuals having a public spat and the question marks it placed over George Osborne’s judgement.
However, substantively there was very little to the story. It is because of this that I referred to it as a non-story. Nobody had done anything wrong. No law had been broken. Osborne neither solicited funds nor accepted them. Even the aspect of the story about whether the Russian billionaire was being encouraged to donate via one of his own British based companies was a non-story as this practice is not illegal. The media was guilty - not for the first time - of making a mountain out of a molehill. The shear size of the coverage was disproportionate and personality focused.
However, the authorities that matter have decided correctly that there is no case for Osborne to answer.
Last Thursday the Electoral Commission said it would not be launching an investigation and today John Lyon, the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner, has said through a spokesman that he will not be investigating Osborne despite having received a complaint.
Like I said last week... "move along, nothing to see here!"
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