Labour wins £10k election boost – from Lib Dem millionaire

LABOUR’S Parliamentary candidate in Warrington South has been given a £10,000 boost for his campaign – by a “Liberal Democrat” millionaire.
Nick Bent has welcomed the contribution – which he says is the biggest individual donation the local Labour Party has ever received – from the Lib Dem peer Lord Matthew Oakeshott.
He said the General Election will result in either a Conservative government or a Labour government and Warrington South can only be won by a Labour or Tory candidate.
Lord Oakeshott wants to see Labour, Lib Dem, Green supporters and floating voters joining together to hold off the threat of five more years of Tory government.
Mr Bent said the local Labour campaign relied on “people power” through dozens of volunteers.
But the cash injection from Lord Oakeshott would help compete with the well-funded Tory machine.
It was the biggest individual donation the local Labour Party had ever received. By contrast, Tory MP David Mowat had given more than £150,000 of his own money to Warrington South Conservative Association.
Mr Bent added: “It is brilliant to have a prominent Liberal Democrat make a donation of this scale to my campaign.
“We are working hard on a positive campaign to show people the real difference that a Labour government would make to thousands of hardworking families in Warrington. This money will help to get rid of a Tory government that only cares about the privileged few.”
Liberal Democrat Parliamentary candidate for Warrington South, Cllr Bob Barr said: “Warrington needs an election campaign that focuses on the needs of the town. The choice is between a Lib Dem candidate with deep seated roots in the town and two Westminster insiders now being backed by millionaire political fixers.
“Lord Oakeshott is a prominent millionaire fixer whose expensive hobby is meddling in politics.
“While appointed to the Lords as a Lib Dem peer, his plotting within the party led to his resignation before he was expelled.
“The Labour candidate, a Westminster insider whose previous career was as a special adviser to Labour ministers in the Blair/Brown days, blames the Liberal Democrats for losing the seat in 2005.
“He will not face up to the fact that Warrington South is a three way marginal constituency.
“I trust that Warrington South voters will show their votes cannot be bought with money from millionaire Lords but will opt for the local candidate whose principal ambition is to represent Warrington and fight for a fair deal for the town.”
Pictured: Nick Bent (top) and Bob Barr.