Who would pay £220,000 for a week’s stay in a 17th-century Spanish fortress, £210,000 for a statue of Margaret Thatcher or £50,000 for a JCB digger?
The Thatcher statue may be the dead giveaway here, as these were just three of the lots snapped up by Conservative donors at a lavish fundraising dinner to swell the party’s general election warchest.
Also under the hammer at a five-star Mayfair hotel on Monday night was the chance to go shoe shopping with the home secretary, Theresa May, and a meal at the Carlton Club with Sajid Javid, the culture secretary.
After speeches from David Cameron and party treasurer Andrew Feldman, Tory donors were also able to bid for a roast chicken dinner at home with chief whip Michael Gove, a cup of tea with London Mayor Boris Johnson, and an “Iron Man” 10km run with welfare secretary Iain Duncan Smith.
Almost the entire Tory cabinet, including May and foreign secretary Philip Hammond, turned up in their finery to join guests, who had paid £1,500 a head to attend, at the Black and White election fundraiser at the Grosvenor House hotel on Park Lane, central London.
Party supporters in attendance included hedge fund boss Stanley Fink, Lycamobile founder Subaskaran Allirajah, jewellery tycoon Ranbir Singh Suri, lap dancing club owner Peter Stringfellow and Pimlico Plumbers founder Charlie Mullins.
The former pornographer and joint chairman of West Ham FC, David Gold,
his daughter and sex shop owner Jacqueline Gold, and the pornographer
David Sullivan also attended.
Guests were given a starter of smoked salmon with horseradish; a main course of confit of lamb neck with celeriac and a haggis sauce; and to finish, panacotta with rhubarb and mint oil. It was washed down with champagne, a red Bordeaux and sauvignon blanc.
Other items sold in the auction included a week’s trip for 24 people to the La Fortaleza estate on the Bay of Pollença in northern Majorca, according to Buzzfeed. The trip, which reportedly sold for £220,000, includes access to a 17th-century fortress with five bedrooms, five more houses, two swimming pools and a helipad.
A small bronze statue of Lady Thatcher – portraying her in 1990, during her final term as prime minister – reportedly sold for £210,000. A JCB digger – donated by Anthony Bamford, a long-term supporter and chairman of the construction vehicle company – went for £50,000, according to one guest. A night’s exclusive use of private members’ club Annabel’s went for £110,000, the Spectator said.
The chance to shop with May, who is known for her love of shoes,
included tea, an outing to Bond Street and a £500 shoe voucher. The
meal with Javid was for four people to attend the exclusive Carlton
Club along with his wife Laura. Other prizes included a 5km jog with
Nicky Morgan, the education secretary.
Morgan attended the event with other ministers including Gove and defence secretary Michael Fallon.
But two of the main future leadership hopefuls were absent with
Johnson, the London mayor, in the US and George Osborne
at the G20 summit.
Last year’s Black and White ball attracted 570 guests worth £22bn, as
well as Cameron and at least 18 other ministers.
