CQS founder Sir Michael Hintze donated more than £250,000 to the Conservative Party in the last week of May, with senior figures from UK finance getting their cheque books out as polls showed the race to 10 Downing Street was tightening. 

According to the most recently updated list of donations and loans to political parties, published by the UK's Electoral Commission yesterday, the high-profile investor made two cash donations of £250,000 and £8,333 during the week.