Former Labour fundraiser ‘owes ex-wife’

TONY BLAIR’S former fundraiser has been accused of failing to pay £2million to his Austrian princess ex-wife.

Anthony Bailey, 51, is in a battle with Marie-therese Hohenberg Bailey over the money arising from their divorce.

The public relations consultant, a key fundraiser for Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, has now been accused of breaching court orders.

Ms Hohenberg Bailey, who a judge ruled should receive more than £2million from Mr Bailey, said her former husband should be imprisoned.

Mr Bailey disputes the allegations. A judge considered Ms Hohenberg Bailey’s application in the Family Division of the High Court in London yesterday.

Mr Justice Holman heard that she has not received “her money”. Future hearings are expected in the coming months to resolve the dispute.

Mr Bailey, who lived in London, did not attend. His lawyers told Mr Justice Holman that he was in Portugal and not well enough to travel to England.

“I am very sympathetic to the situation of the wife here,” said Mr Justice Holman. He said Ms Hohenberg Bailey believes her former husband is “living the life of Riley”. The court heard that she, meanwhile, has run up around £800,000 in legal bills. Mr Justice Holman added: “She has got her order from the court and all she wants is her money.” Lawyers representing Mr Bailey asked the judge to bar reporters from naming him, but their application was refused.

He said the hearing was being staged in public, in line with rules governing contempt applications.

In 2016, it was claimed that Mr Bailey was abusing an honour he received from Antigua for his charitable work to masquerade as a knight in the UK. He was alleged to have insisted on being called “Sir”, flouting convention and allegedly angering Buckingham Palace.