Can Hammond fund the Tories on BBQ kebabs?

As the tory Party faces a financial crisis because donations to its coffers have dried up following the Brexit debacle, Chancellor Philip hammond is donning an apron to help raise funds.

He has invited rich, potential donors to a barbecue at the 200- acre grace- and- favour Dorneywood estate which he uses as a perk of the job.

Guests — all members of the Leader’s Group who pay a minimum £ 50,000 a year for ‘ access’ to Cabinet ministers and the Prime Minister — will attend the beano in June.

however, there are concerns that using the Buckinghamshire mansion as a venue might be an abuse of the perk because the event is party, rather than Government, business.

the Ministerial Code states that such jollies must be at the minister’s or their party’s expense ‘with no cost falling to the public purse’. But the Conservatives are desperate for money and it’s hoped that hammond’s kebabs- for- cash summer party will winkle out enough cheques that they can compete with Labour’s war-chest.

Labour raised £16 million from its 540,000 members last year.

By comparison, the tories received just £ 835,000 from their 124,000 increasingly demotivated activists.

Beleaguered tory treasurer Dominic Johnson — a superwealthy chum of David Cameron and founder of an investment management firm — has his work cut out as he goes cap in hand to party supporters.

If Barbecue Boy hammond doesn’t deliver, the tories will find themselves in hot water when financing their campaign for the next General election.

BAD TASTE JOKE OF THE WEEK:

‘WILL Christopher Davies the tory MP (for now) for Brecon and radnorshire, convicted in court of submitting false Parliamentary invoices, put his £1,500 fine on his expenses?’