Lee Anderson says he is using a £15,000 donation from a London private members' club to go towards employing a member of campaign staff. The latest register of members' interests shows that the exclusive Carlton Club has given the Ashfield Tory MP £15,000 for "local campaigning."
Mr Anderson has recently been the subject of controversy after using a picture of one of his staff to argue that people on more than £30,000 shouldn't have to use a food bank. The MP also said that some of those who do use food banks waste money on "fags and booze", the Sunday Mirror reports.
Anneliese Dodds, chair of the Labour Party, reacted to the £15,000 donation by saying: "Lee Anderson's constituents will be surprised to hear about this big money donation. It seems like this self-styled 'man of the people' is no different from the countless other Conservative MPs happy to accept cash from a swanky members-only Mayfair club. He's just as out of touch as they are."
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But in a statement to the Sunday Mirror, Mr Anderson said: "I am raising money through private donations to employ a member of staff for my campaign team. Obviously I am not able to raise hundreds of thousands of pounds as some Labour MPs do through unions but rest assured if and when I have enough money I will employ a local person and pay them a decent wage from my donations."
Analysis earlier in the year showed that Mr Anderson has been linked with £58,176 worth of gifts and donations since the last election. Mr Anderson said in a statement at the time on that matter: "The cash donations I have received are used to pay for leaflets and the delivery which is a welcome boost to Royal Mail.
"I have received a few gifts to sporting events which I use to take deserving constituents who have done something amazing or won one of the competitions I have run. It's important that people realise this money does not go into MPs' pockets."
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