UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – A Labour MP, Helena Dollimore, has demanded that Tory donor Lubov Chernukhin return £150,000 in taxpayer funds after her entertainment centre collapsed.
Lubov Chernukhin, a Conservative donor, faces growing pressure to repay £150,000 in public funds awarded to her firm for a Hastings “fun factory” that shut down within months.
What did Helena Dollimore say about the failed Hastings fun centre?
Helena Dollimore says Hastings residents want their money back after the collapse of Owens, an amusement centre that now stands as a shuttered and neglected façade on the high street.
Ms. Dollimore insisted that Chernukhin, who recently donated £70,000 to Shadow Foreign Secretary Priti Patel, should return the taxpayer money now that the project has gone into administration. She urged Tory leader Kemi Badenoch to reject any future donations from Chernukhin until the grant is repaid.
Speaking in the House of Commons on Monday, she revealed that Hastings Council struggled to recover the £150,000 given to Chernukhin’s failed venture. The venture had now gone into administration without returning the funds.
Hastings MP said,
“The reason I am here speaking about this is that Owens has come to symbolise for our community much more than a mere eyesore.”
adding,
“Did Ms Chernukhin, a millionaire owner, really need a top-up from the taxpayer to fund such a venture? Was that truly the best use of the money given to Hastings to improve our town? None of that makes any sense to my constituents.”
Ms Dolliomore stated,
“Owens closed shortly after opening, and the deserted, boarded-up building now dominates our town centre in Hastings. The staff were laid off with no notice, and many people who supplied the business and helped with the building work said they were not paid for their work. The closure of Owens, which is now covered in wooden boarding, leaves a stain on our community.”
She pointed out that since the project’s closure, Chernukhin had donated more than £150,000 to the Conservatives.
Ms Dollimore continued,
“Ms Chernukhin should donate the money she received from the taxpayer back to the people of Hastings. Used well, it could go a very long way to fixing our broken paving stones and bus shelters. Lubov Chernukhin, we want our money back. Until that money is repaid in full to our community, the Conservative party should not take a penny in donations from her.”
What did Chernukhin’s spokesperson say about the town’s fund grant and political donations?
A spokesperson for Chernukhin stated,
“Mrs Chernukhin was not involved in the application process for the town’s fund grant. Lubov was not a director at the time – she was appointed in February 2023 – and she was only informed of the grant just before the opening of the centre in October 2022.”
They continued,
“As a British citizen, Mrs Chernukhin is entitled to make donations to political parties as she sees fit. All her donations have been declared under the rules of the Electoral Commission, and derive from her private wealth.”
Conservative Party’s views about Chernukhin’s donations
A Tory party representative dismissed claims of conflict, stating that donations have no bearing on government decisions.
They stated,
“Ms Lubov Chernukhin has lived in Britain for many years and is a British citizen, which gives her the democratic and legal right to donate to a political party.
The party spokesperson said,
“All donations to the Conservative party are received in good faith, after appropriate due diligence, from permissible sources,”
adding,
“Donations are properly and transparently declared to the Electoral Commission, published by them, and comply fully with the law.”
History of Lubov Chernukhin, and the Owens entertainment centre
Lubov Chernukhin, a businesswoman and Conservative donor, has donated more than £2 million to the party since 2014. She is the wife of a former Russian finance minister. In October 2022, she played an essential role in establishing the Owens entertainment centre in Hastings, East Sussex.
The Owens entertainment centre secured £150,000 from Boris Johnson’s town agreement funds after a competitive tender process.
Ms Chernukhin, during its launch, pledged the project would boost local employment with 45 jobs and increase tourism in Hastings. The venue hosted a range of attractions, including dining options, a bowling alley, virtual reality entertainment, an oddity museum, and an arcade.