The Sun carried a spread on Wednesday that heaped scorn on “a Tory fundraising bash” attended by David Cameron.
“Black, white and blue: inside the PM’s secretive fundraiser”, said the headline over a piece that reported the guest list as including “mega-rich donors worth £26billion — including an oligarch and a porn baron.”
The article, which told of “lavish auction lots” and “posh” holiday prizes as the party crowd “dined on seared venison and pan-roasted sea bass”, was calculated to arouse Sun readers’ envy and reinforce their view of a party, and a prime minister, living high on the hog.
“Eye-watering sums were splurged”, it said, on auction items such as shooting trips, gold jewellery and a magnum of 1996 Cristal champagne.
It even quoted Labour shadow cabinet minister, Jon Ashworth, as commenting: “While they’re filling their coffers at a lavish ball, working people are facing cuts.”
A leading article reinforced the paper’s antagonism towards the “vulgar annual flaunting” of Tory donors’ wealth.”
So who was there among the vulgar throng? Among the guests were London mayor Boris Johnson, his possible successor Zac Goldsmith, Russian oligarch Leonard Blavatnik, hedge fund manager Sir Michael Hintze, jewellery tycoon Ranbir Singh Suri, department store owner Christopher Fenwick and Indian entrepreneur Ranjit Baxi.
According to the report, other diners included West Ham United co-owner David Gold — “who made his fortune in adult magazines” — his daughter Jacqueline, plus Hammers vice-chairman Karren Brady, who happens to write a column for the Sun on Sunday.
Oh yes, and in the ninth paragraph was the discreet revelation of another guest: “News UK exec David Dinsmore also attended.”
Well, how about that? Dinsmore, the former Sun editor, is now News UK’s chief operating officer. As a former Sun executive remarked of the current Sun editor’s decision to deride the event: “Tony Gallagher certainly has balls!” Quite so.
