Tag Archives: joan l.b. edwards

Stephen Tall

Joan Edwards’ solicitors state her wishes were “specifically checked”: she wanted bequest to go to parties

By Stephen Tall | Wed 14th August 2013 - 2:00 pm

Another twist to add to the tale of Joan Edwards’ bequest. After the furore whipped-up by today’s Daily Mail, the Lib Dems and Conservatives had little choice but to renounce the cash. But it turns out that, by doing so, the donor’s actual wishes may well have been denied. Here’s the statement from her solicitors, Davis Woods, executors of Miss Edwards’ estate:

We confirm that we act as executors of the late Joan Edwards.

The Will was drafted by a solicitor at Davis Wood in 2001.

At the time of the instructions received from the late Miss Edwards, the solicitor specifically

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Stephen Tall

Daily Mail accuses “grasping politicians of pocketing spinster’s £500,000 legacy”. Let’s have some facts first, please.

By Stephen Tall | Wed 14th August 2013 - 8:00 am

mail grasping politicians front page - 14 aug 13This morning’s Mail Online has a shocking headline: Grasping politicians pocket spinster’s £500,000 legacy she bequeathed to government to spend ‘as they may think fit’. The newspaper’s front page also splashes on the story (right).

This follows the story we reported here yesterday of Miss Joan Edwards, who had apparently bequeathed £520k to the two Coalition partners as the current governing parties. This was divided 80:20 between them, with the Lib Dems getting almost £100k.

The Mail disputes that interpretation, asserting instead that she intended to leave the money as a bequest to the nation. They say the will’s wording was not (as claimed in newspaper reports yesterday) for the money to be passed “to whoever was the party of government of the day” but that it should be passed to “whichever Government is in office at the date of my death”. On that basis, the paper accuses the Conservatives and Lib Dems of deception bordering on fraud.

My Twitter timeline today suggests two things. First, everyone believes the Daily Mail when it suits them. Secondly, that there are a surprising number of people who think they’re experts on legacy bequests.

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Stephen Tall

Ms Joan LB Edwards: the mystery donor who bequeathed £99,423 to the Lib Dems – our 20% share as “the party of government of the day”

By Stephen Tall | Tue 13th August 2013 - 12:40 pm

Chris Harlow and James Waterson at City A.M. has the bizarre story:

Eyebrows were raised this morning when it was revealed that the top individual donor to political parties in the second quarter of the year was one “Ms Joan L B Edwards” who gave the Conservatives £420,576 and the Lib Dems £99,423.

Ms Edwards has not shown any particular interest in politics in the past so onlookers immediately wondered whether she was spurred into action by the coalition’s success.

But City A.M. can reveal that it is actually the result of a bizarre bequest. Ms Edwards recently died and a mole

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