Labour man’s extraordinary attack on Labour MP

In happier times, Nick Bent and Helen Jones standing shoulder to shoulder

NICK Bent, the twice-defeated Labour Parliamentary candidate in Warrington South, has launched an extraordinary attack on veteran Warrington North Labour MP Helen Jones.
Using social media, he has publicly challenged her – and Warrington South Conservative MP David Mowat – to give part of their recent 10 per cent pay rise to the Jo Cox Fund to support good causes the tragic MP cared about.
MPs got a pay rise from May last year and both Warrington’s MPs pledged to give the increase to charity for the full five years of this Parliament.
Mr Bent made a similar pledge himself before the General Election.
He said: “Every MP got a pay rise from £67K to £74K per annum from May 2015.  So that’s an extra £7K per annum gross. After tax, that’s about an extra £4K per year that each MP should be giving to charity.
“So, over the full five years of this Parliament, there should be about £20K going to charity from each MP – provided they keep their word and give away the extra taxpayers’ money they are getting each month until May 2020.
“I know David Mowat has published details of local charities he is donating this money to. Sadly, as far as I know from the local press, Helen Jones has so far refused to give any information about how she is giving away her pay rise.  Some Labour councillors are worried this looks bad to voters, because unless Helen Jones tells people which charities she has donated to, voters may conclude that she may have kept the cash herself and broken her promise to her constituents.”
Mr Bent said he had made a donation himself to the Jo Cox Fund, which passed the £1 million mark in three days.
He added: “In addition, I have publicly challenged  Helen Jones to give any and all money she or her family are making from her recent book ‘How to be a Government Whip’ to charity, and perhaps to the Jo Cox Fund.  I hope she does so as it would be a fitting gesture.
“True public service is about putting other people first and good causes first, as Jo Cox’s life and work brilliantly showed.  It is not about personal financial gain.”
Mr Mowat said: “The pledge I made at the General Election was to donate to charities based in Warrington so my constituents would benefit directly. I try to do this quietly without using charities as a campaigning tool.
“I very much hope the Jo Cox appeal also does well.”
Ms Jones has declined to respond to Mr Bent’s comments.
But in recent times she has supported organisations such as Age UK, Carers UK, Christian Aid, Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust, the Burtonwood Heritage Centre, Warrington Youth Council, Crohn’s and Colitis UK, and the Ramblers Association.
Mr Bent lost out to David Mowat in Warrington South at the last two General Elections and also failed to win a seat on the borough council in May. But he was successful in winning a seat on Stockton Heath Parish Council and has indicated his wish to fight the Parliamentary seat again.