The BBC quoted him as saying, "have been angered by what see as the leaking of candidacy by the commission" and he has called for greater transparency. He also said that he would not have loaned the party the money if he had imagined that the financial support would create such criticism. Further concerned that his reputation was being traduced, he made a strenuous plea for clarity in the handling of his candidacy on BBC2's "Newsnight" on 10 March 2006 and in a letter to the HLAC stated that he was mystified and deeply distressed by the apparent rejection.