Reposted from the New Statesman
Owen Jones caused a bit of a stir this week, when after it was revealed that he had won the Political Book Awards Young Writer of the Year award, he announced he would be giving his £3,000 prize money (donated by Lord Ashcroft) away – half to Lisa Forbes, Labour candidate in Peterborough, and half to the Disabled People Against Cuts.
He tweeted:
Chuffed to win Young Writer of the Year Award at #PBAwards. Given the £3,000 prize is from Lord Ashcroft I’ll be donating it to causes (1/3)
Half to the brilliant @LisaForbes_ campaign against right-wing Tory caricature @SJacksonMP. Lord Ashcroft money well-spent #PBAwards (2/3)
The other half to @dis_ppl_protest who are campaigning for disabled people who are being battered by Tory cuts #PBAwards (3/3)
Thanks to Jones, Tory mega-donor Lord Ashcroft’s money is going to be funding a Labour parliamentary candidate and a group of activists who vehemently oppose the actions of the Conservative politicians in the coalition. When he came up on stage to present another award, Lord Ashcroft attempted to have a pop at Jones in return, and delivered an unconvincing comeback.
It wasnt a comeback. It was an amusing and fair reply to a silly man. I was there.
Well, Bill, don’t leave us in suspense. You were there, what did Ashcroft come back with that was so funny?