Party Funding

Debate between Steve Rotheram and Lord Maude of Horsham

Monday 26th March 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr Maude]

Should the former Prime Minister grace us with his presence again, no doubt we could have a go at engaging him on that. Somehow I doubt that.

[Steve Rotheram (Liverpool, Walton) (Lab)]

It appears that the cost of a meal with the Prime Minister is about a quarter of a million quid. We can only imagine what the cost would be for the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, who is just leaving the Chamber, in “Dodgy Dave’s Downing Street Diner”. Does the Minister understand that when stories such as this emerge, it only confirms what we in Liverpool already know—the Tories are not interested in ordinary people; they are interested only in buying favour and making their rich friends even richer?

[Mr Maude]

I can only say that that is nonsense.