Lister defends Ashcroft

Last night, Wandsworth Tory Leader Cllr Lister defended the Baron of Belize, Lord Ashcroft. Lister said that we (the residents of Wandsworth) should be eternally grateful for "Ashcroft pouring large sums of money into (Putney's) Ashcroft Academy". He went on to say that it mattered not whether Ashcroft was a non-dom or not, or indeed that he had no idea actually how much Ashcroft had put into the Academy, or indeed whether the money was tainted in any way because "his contributions were probably tax deductible".

Surely these were curious comments to make about a man, who is notoriously secretive about his tax status and who quite probably does not pay as much in taxation as his many cleaners. Just perhaps the fact that Lister was one of Ashcroft's employees had just a little to do with his comments. Not to mention, of course, that both Lister and Wandsworth Mayor Cllr Prichard sit on the Academy's board, of which Ashcroft is - naturally - the Chairman.

Meanwhile Tories voted 34 against Labour's 9 NOT to save £2 million being spent on bonuses for staff paid more than double the London average salary and using the savings to reduce charges for meals on wheels for the elderly and to allow some increase in wages for the lowest paid of Council staff.