Labour presses for police investigation into Shapps family firm – Media and blog round up: February 28th 2013

“Labour is calling for police to press ahead with an investigation for possible fraud and copyright violations into the family business founded by the Tory chairman Grant Shapps – for selling software that inflates a website’s advertising revenue by copying other people’s content – as many of its web pages have disappeared from the internet. The opposition had been pressing for the Metropolitan police to launch an investigation into How To Corp, an internet marketing firm set up by Shapps and his wife in 2005, which through its website sells “autoblogging” software that creates an instant cashflow by allegedly plagiarising information. Earlier this week Steve McCabe, a Labour MP, wrote to the lead officer in the specialist crime and operations division dealing with the case to warn that five months after his original complaint “How to Corp appears to have taken down many of its web pages, thus making it harder for any investigation to be conducted”.” – Guardian

“David Cameron’s leadership will be in crisis if the Conservatives come third in the Eastleigh byelection behind the Liberal Democrats and Ukip, the prominent rightwing Tory David Davis has warned. His remarks, before the critical by-election for the coalition partners, reflect Conservative concern that the main route to an overall majority at the next election will be blocked if Tories cannot capture a string of Liberal Democrat seats. Eleven of the Tories’ top 43 target seats are held by the Lib Dems, and senior Conservatives are preparing for a bitter inquest if they fail to capture Eastleigh. Davis said: “I think if we came third it would be a crisis, I think that’s the case, and if it’s a close second with Ukip on our tail it will also be uncomfortable.”” – Guardian