The wife of a former Russian minister dined with Theresa May and six female cabinet members on Monday night after winning an auction at a Tory fundraiser.
Lubov Chernukhin ate with Theresa May and other top politicians at the Goring Hotel, in Belgravia, London, after donating £135,000 at the Conservative Party’s Black and White ball this year.
The revelation follows the Government’s pledge this week to tackle the flood of Russian money being used to try and influence politicians in the UK.
Mrs Chernukhin’s husband was formerly an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, although the Tories say he has fallen out with the leader.
A source told the Daily Mail: “It was bit like Cabinet at the start, very polite, but then a fair amount of wine was drunk and then it became a very relaxed and talkative dinner.”
(Image: Instagram/elizabeth.truss.mp)
Tories claim that the Russian banker, who has donated more than £1million to the party since 2011, is not one of Putin’s underlings.
Mrs Chernukhin previously dished out £160,000 to play tennis against David Cameron and Boris Johnson, the Daily Mail reports.
Her latest purchase came to light when Liz Truss, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, posted a picture on Instagram of herself, Mrs May and other politicians standing alongside the Russian in the Goring Hotel.
The picture also features Amber Rudd, Work and Pensions Secretary, Caroline Nokes, immigration minister, Karen Bradley, Northern Ireland Secretary, Baroness Evans, and Leader of the Lords Andrea Leadsom.
The identities of the other women in the photograph are not known.
Vladimir Chernukhin served as Mr Putin’s deputy finance minister in the early 2000s, although the Conservative Party said he had fallen out of favour with the President.
