Donor’s trust in the government ‘cruelly abused’

12:26pm, Wed 14 Aug 2013Will donation given to Treasury

Last updated Wed 14 Aug 2013

Politics

Labour MP Kerry McCarthy, who represents Joan Edward’s local ward of Bristol East said serious questions had to be asked of the Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties over the decision to use money donated to the government for party purposes.

She said her former constituent’s trust in the “government of the day” was cruelly abused:

It seems to me utterly inconceivable that a bequest to ‘the Government of the day’ could be interpreted as a donation to the Tories and Lib Dems to spend on electioneering.

I want to know what questions were asked when the money came in, and whether the parties were involved in any discussions with the executors beforehand as to how the money was to be split – a conversation that surely should have rung alarm bells.

At a time when people’s confidence in political parties has been sorely tested, what kind of message does it send out that those running our country think that the savings of someone who led a modest, decent life, devoted to public service, should be spent on shoring up their own political futures?

Joan’s trust in ‘the government of the day’ has been cruelly abused.