“Marxist doe”: The money at the heart of the Robert Jenrick planning row

The Tory donor and former newspaper owner Richard Desmond sought to avoid a new council charge that would have benefited Tower Hamlets, one of the UK's most-deprived boroughs.

By Anoosh Chakelian

(Photo By Flickr/Matt Buck, licensed under Creative Commons)

“We appreciate the speed as we don’t want to give Marxists loads of doe for nothing! [sic].”

This text sent by the former Express owner-turned-property developer Richard Desmond to the Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick, cuts to the heart of the planning row currently engulfing the government.