100,000 back Christie on bank losses

Paul Rowen MP with a Christie's campaigner at Downing Street.

Campaigners last night stepped up pressure on Gordon Brown to compensate Christie’s for the £6.5 million it lost when the Icelandic bank collapsed.

Cancer patients, fund-raisers and Christie charity representatives delivered a 100,000-name petition to Downing Street calling for the Prime Minister to act.

The campaign was launched in March in an attempt to overturn the decision made by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme that the Christie Charity would not be compensated for the £6.5 million it lost in the Icelandic banking collapse.

Lord Keith Bradley, chairman of the Christie charity, said: “This petition is a loud and passionate call for the Government to help to bring this money back to where it rightfully belongs.”

Rochdale MP Paul Rowen delivered the petition alongside Lord Bradley. "The Prime Minister may have ignored the Treasury Select Committee report on this issue but he cannot ignore the wishes of over 100,000 members of his electorate," said Mr Rowen. "Given the money the Government has pumped into banks whose own mis-management caused their losses, their compensation scheme’s stance on this issue is indefensible. Christie’s invested in good faith in a solid bank and they and their patients should not be punished for other’s mistakes.

“It was good to see so many different individuals, some of whom were from Rochdale, presenting the petition along with a coach full of supporters that had made the journey from Manchester to London to support the campaign.

"Christies is a world famous for the care, treatment, and research it provides for cancer patients and it would be an absolute tragedy if the Government were to turn their back on the excellent work they carry out.”

The petition was delivered 24 hours after the Prime Minister was accused of standing in the way of Christie’s getting compensated.

The charity raises around £13 million a year to support Christie’s.

Last month the Commons powerful treasury select committee report recommended that the charity should be compensated.