Hartlepool Labour candidate Jonathan Brash urges Tory MP Jill Mortimer to repay Carlton Club donation to taxpayer

London’s Carlton Club in London is the original home of the Conservative Party and across 2020 and 2021 it received £843,000 in coronavirus aid from the Government.

The club’s 2021 financial report noted such support helped it return an “operating surplus of £226,000” in 2021.

While it made no political donations in 2021, Hartlepool MP Jill Mortimer is among Conservative MPs to receive a donation from the club in 2022.

On her register of financial interests the £5,000 donation is listed as “support linked to an MP but received by a local party organisation or indirectly via a central party organisation”.

Councillor Jonathan Brash, Hartlepool’s Labour parliamentary candidate, said: “It appears that taxpayers’ money has been funnelled via this posh private members club into the hands of Conservative MPs like Mrs Mortimer.

“At a time when so many people in our town are struggling with the cost of living and the highest taxes in 70 years, for her to accept this money is outrageous.”

Cllr Brash has written to her and asked her to “immediately repay this money to the Treasury and the taxpayers”.

Mrs Mortimer said she would not be commenting on “yet another trumped up bit of political nonsense” but would be happy to discuss “toxicity in politics”.

The 2021 financial report stated “during the year the company made no political donations” and that its £226k operating surplus compared to a £206,000 loss in 2020 when the Covid-19 pandemic began.

The club has been approached for comment.