01 April 2024 , 21:49
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Sir Ed Davey, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, will visit Science Secretary Michelle Donelan’s Chippenham constituency on Tuesday as he attempts to capitalise on her woes
The Liberal Democrats are launching their campaign to oust Cabinet minister Michelle Donelan after she left taxpayers to foot a £15,000 legal bill.
Sir Ed Davey, the party’s leader, will visit the Science Secretary’s Chippenham constituency on Tuesday as he attempts to capitalise on her woes. Ms Donelan ran into difficulties after she falsely accused an academic of supporting Hamas.
Last month she apologised and withdrew her comments after she was sued for libel. But she left it to taxpayers to pick up the £15,000 bill for settling the case.
The local Liberal Democrat party in Chippenham has launched a petition calling on Ms Donelan to donate £15,000 to a housing charity.
The Tory minister won the seat with a majority of 11,288 votes at the last election, but she faces a struggle to hang onto it. The Lib Dems already hold 11 of the 19 Wiltshire County Council seats in the constituency. As well as highlighting the row over Ms Donelan’s legal bill, the party is fighting a campaign focused on local health services including access to GPs and dentists.
Speaking ahead of the visit, Sir Ed Davey said: “Lifelong Conservative voters are telling us they are sick of endless sleaze and scandal under this government. Michelle Donelan is just the latest Conservative cabinet minister who thinks they can get away with taking their constituents for granted. People in Chippenham are rightly furious that she used taxpayers’ money to settle her own libel costs.
“It’s clear the Liberal Democrats are the main challengers to the Conservatives in seats like Chippenham and right across the Blue Wall. At the next election voters face a clear choice, another Conservative MP who will take them for granted, or a hard-working Liberal Democrat MP who will stand up for their local community.”
The Lib Dems are targeting a swathe of seats across the South of England including Godalming and Ash where Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is standing and Education Secretary Gillian Keegan’s Chichester seat.
A Tory source said it was "bold" move by Sir Ed following criticism of his handling of the Horizon IT scandal when he was Post Office minister. Many former sub-postmasters are still awaiting compensation from the Government.