WORCESTER'S Conservative parliamentary candidate has been handed a £2,000 donation from a private care home owner, it has emerged.

Robin Walker's office was given the cash by Redwood Healthcare Limited, but has rubbished criticism from a national tabloid newspaper today.

The city Tory has featured in a Daily Mirror list of 70 politicians with links to private health companies, with Mr Walker calling it "nonsense".

The list also has West Worcestershire's Harriett Baldwin in it because she is a former executive at JP Morgan, a major player in private healthcare, and Bromsgrove Culture Secretary Sajid Javid after he accepted £11,000 from Moundsley Healthcare Limited last year.

Mr Walker said: "It's just nonsense, if local businesses want to give me money then great, but it won't change the way I act in parliament.

"It's a complete non-story because anyone who has been to the Worcester hustings will know I don't want to privatise healthcare whatsoever.

"An awful lot of businesses support us financially and it's a lot better than the taxpayer."

The money from the firm, which operates care homes in Malvern and Kidderminster, went towards sponsoring a dinner by former Prime Minister John Major held at Sixways last October.

Louis Stephen, Worcester's Green parliamentary candidate, said: "There is nothing wrong with privately run residential care homes but I do wonder given their high cost if the resident's families realise that the company profits are being used to fund the Conservative Party.

"This is especially ironic since the Conservatives have chosen not to properly fund older peoples' social care.

"I'd ask voters to consider in contrast the Green Party locally financing many of the election deposits by crowdsourcing, internet based smaller donations between £3 and £50, from local people.

"I think this sums up what is wrong with politics in this country."