11 January 2002
A spokesman for the central London authority said it would use 'all appropriate means' to find the money. The House of Lords ruled in December that £27m was owed to the council by the former Tory councillors as a result of the 'homes for votes' scandal.
Westminster has employed City lawyers Stephenson Harwood to track down the money. It is feared that
the search for Porter's share may extend across the globe as many of her assets have been moved out of the country.
The House of Lords' decision should bring to a close a saga stretching back to 1987, the first year that council homes were sold to prospective Conservative voters when Westminster was led by the heiress to the Tesco supermarkets fortune.
However, Porter, estimated to be worth about £70m, is vowing to take the case to the European Court of Human Rights now that the legal process in this country has been exhausted.
'She is appealing to Europe,' said a representative for Porter. He also claimed that she had won a court delay until January 18 before any payments have to be made to Westminster.
Asked if Porter would pay up on January 19, the representative said: 'That is a matter for her when she's been able to discuss that properly.'
PFjan2002
