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Theresa May rattled her donation tin for millionaire donors including the wife of a former Vladimir Putin crony last night at the Tories’ lavish Black and White Ball.

Lubov Chernukhin, who is married to ex-Russian deputy finance minister Vladimir Chernukhin, was spotted at the exclusive event, where wealthy donors splash cash to rub shoulders with senior ministers.

Dame Joan Collins and I’m A Celebrity star Georgia ‘Toff’ Toffolo were both seen arriving at the bash.

Theresa May and a raft of senior Tories including Iain Duncan Smith, Environment Secretary Michael Gove, Health Secretary Matt Hancock and Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom all attended.

Guests paid up to £15,000 for a table - and the chance to dine with a member of the Cabinet and bid in a private auction.

In a speech before the slap-up dinner, party chairman Brandon Lewis joked: “Whatever you bid at the auction it is less than you’ll pay in tax under Corbyn.”

(Image: PA)

(Image: PA)

Ministers were under strict orders to attend the glittering bash, held at the luxury Evolution event centre in the heart of London’s Battersea Park.

The highlight of the lavish bash is the silent auction.

Previous years have seen wealthy backers splash their cash on a shoe shopping trip with Theresa May herself, an 'Iron Man Experience' with Iain Duncan Smith and dinner with Michael Gove and his wife Sarah Vine.

Mrs Chernukhin, a banker, made high profile auction bids in previous years, purchasing private access to senior ministers.

Last year the Tories accepted her bid of £30,000 in return for a private dinner with defence secretary Gavin Williamson in the Churchill War Rooms.

(Image: PA)

She successfully bid £160,000 at a previous Black and White Ball to play tennis with Boris Johnson, and also £20,000 to dine with Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson in Edinburgh.

Also on the guest list was restaurant tycoon Richard Caring, who owns the Ivy Restaurant, the Soho House chain of private members clubs and swanky London nightclub, Annabel’s.

(Image: PA)

Among the auction lots was lunch at the Ivy with George Osborne, with a minimum bid of £6,000.

One lucky bidder will get a private cinema experience with Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd - who before becoming an MP served as the aristocracy consultant on Four Weddings and A Funeral.

And dinner at London’s ‘Travellers Club’ with Liam Fox was up for grabs, just days after the International Trade Secretary was slammed for travelling 400,000 miles since taking the job without having signed a single trade deal.

(Image: PA)

(Image: GoCompare)

The auction was presented by Wynne Evans, who plays opera singer 'Gio Compario' in the Go Compare adverts.

Labour Party Chair Ian Lavery said: “Tory Ministers live on a different planet.

“While they are busy hobnobbing with super rich donors at a lavish party, our public services are in crisis, people's pay is being squeezed and councils are at breaking point.

“The government should be focusing on running the country, not courting donations for their party.”

(Image: PA)

Responding to Mrs Chernukhin’s attendence, a Conservative Party spokesperson said: “The Conservative Party does not accept foreign donations – as they are illegal.

“All donations to the Conservative party are properly and transparently declared to the Electoral Commission, published by them, and comply fully with the law.”

A Tory source added: "Ms Lubov Chernukhin has lived in Britain for many years and is a British citizen, which gives her the democratic right to donate to a political party."