WHAT RIGHT LOTS
Tories spoon out £8,000 for Moggy meals & Boris bubbly
MIKEY SMITH Whitehall Correspondent
RIGHT-WING Tories have snapped up dates with Jacob Rees-Mogg and top Conservative donor Lord Cruddas at a fundraising auction.
The party faithful were equally stirred up by a set of commemorative teaspoons adorned with the face of former leader Margaret Thatcher.
While the spoons sold for £650, a lunch at the House of Lords with ex-housing minister Lord Greenhalgh
managed only £600. The lots were sold at a gala dinner during a conference of the Boris Johnson-backing Conservative Democratic Organisation.
One person forked out £1,500 to enjoy lunch with ex-Business Secretary Mr Rees-Mogg, while £1,000 secured a round of golf with Lord Cruddas.
Another £1,000 was bid for a oneweek internship at his share-trading firm, CMC Markets.
Meanwhile, there was no need for fans of Mr Johnson to “bring a bottle” if they had the money – some Delaire Graff Sunrise Brut Champagne signed by the ex-PM was snapped up for £950.
Other bottles of plonk autographed by him went for up to £360. And a signed first edition of his book The Churchill Factor fetched £300, helping to raise £8,000 at the Bournemouth bash.
Boxed Champagne and truffles signed by Mr Rees-Mogg, Priti Patel
and Nadine Dorries each brought in £350.
Disgruntled Tories frustrated with the party under Rishi Sunak’s leadership flocked to the seaside hotspot for the group’s summit last week. Chairman David Campbell Bannerman told those at the auction: “I hope you’re feeling rich.” One diner shouted back: “Not under this government.”