Premier blasted over Christie lost millions

Gordon Brown was last night accused of standing in the way of Manchester’s Christie Hospital getting back the £6 million it lost in the Icelandic bank fiasco.

Altrincham and Sale West MP Graham Brady told the Commons the Prime Minister was the one person obstructing the specialist hospital from getting back the money raised by one million people across the North West.

Speaking during Prime Minister’s Question Time, Mr Brown said he was also worried about Christie’s but there were many more people affected and the issue must be looked at “in the round”.

He added: “I visited the nurses at Christie’s hospital when I was in the North. The fact is we are not the regulatory authority.

“The first priority is for the Icelandic authorities to pay up. That is why we are in negotiations with the IMF and other authorities about the rate of which Iceland can repay the losses that they are responsible for.

“However, we will also agreed to look at the particular case of Christie’s to see what we can do to understand how we can meet their needs."

The criticism comes after Rochdale MP Paul Rowen called for the PM to help recover the money which is believed to have been earmarked for new radiography centres in Oldham and Salford.

Mr Brown added: “You have to accept that there are many more people affected by the Icelandic regulating authority that have lost money as a result of that and that would mean there would be certain precedents that would be set.

“We have got to look at it in the round and will do so.”