Lady Churchill turns down help

Press, 24 February 1977, Page 7

Lady Churchill turns down help

NZPA-Reuter The Hague The biggest Opposition party in tin \»■ :(.mds has called on the Dutch Govern- ; ment to give financial help to Sir Winston Churchill’' widow, reported to be sellling fartiily heirlooms to i cover her living expenses. Ihe Liberal YA .D. Party, which has 22 seats in the Lower House, has tab’ed two written questions asking the Prime Minister (Mr Jo ,p jden Uy!) to pay a pension [to l ady Spencer-Churchill. The questions, signed by ,the party floor leader. Mr ■ Hans Wiegel, and a Libera' ’member, Mr Henk Koning, have to be answered within • three weeks. I The two Parliamentarians said that the pension should be paid to Lady Spencer- • Churchill “because of her ■ late husband’s invaluable! (services in the Second World War in the cause of freedom and on behalf of Ithe Netherlands." I The widow of '.he wartime! Header has already sold some of her furniture and intends | to auction five family paint-, ings next month, including; 'two works by her husband. Her grandson. Mr Winston i Churchi'l, said that her once 'comfortable income had been

e enroded by inflation, tax ation. and fall.ng iniestm nt I income. She now required personal nursing. How ex er. Lady Spencer®i Churchill has reiused ill siofters to help ease her finan- . cial plight. a ! In a statement issued by [her secretary in Landon. Lady SpencerA hurchill ex- • • pressed her appreciation of ‘ e the mouses which had , prompted individuals to ; make suggestions concerning ‘ her welfare. • ’ But she vvould “RteH- - ’ deplore arp idea that either * legislate n or an appeal shcuid be in.tiated < n r her behalf." II The plight of I adv Spen . cer-Churchill — Sir Wins' .n i used to call her “mv darling Clemmie” — was revealed s 'when five paintings were put jiup for auction at Christies .‘Two are bv Sir Winston and r three are from the personal they both built up ['over the year'. f' They are expected to fetch f about £17,000 (about •' $30,000) in all when ney . are auctioned on March 4 Furniture and silver has > already lieen sold to help - meet Lady Spencer-Church- • ;j ill’s expenses Like many • other elder \ people on tiv-d i incomes, she has found that ■ inflation ha' almost doubled ' i her rent and living expenses