Give it a nudge over finish line.. Cameron lobby texts revealed
DAVID Cameron bombarded ministers, officials and bank chiefs with 73 messages lobbying for a now-collapsed finance firm he worked for, it has emerged.
The former prime minister also secured telephone calls and meetings with Cabinet ministers as he pushed for Covid cash for Greensill Capital.
He contacted Chancellor Rishi Sunak and asked: “Could you try and give it another nudge over the finish line – this is clearly in the national interest.”
The scale of the ex-PM’s lobbying was laid bare by the Treasury committee, which published the messages as it investigates the row.
In March last year, Mr Cameron contacted Treasury permanent secretary Sir Tom Scholar asking for contact details for deputy Bank of England governor Sir Jon Cunliffe, before adding: “Can I give you lunch once the budget is done? Love Dc.”
The following month he sent Sir Tom another message saying, “Again Greensill have got a ‘no’. Am genuinely baffled.”
He went on: “Can I have 5 minutes for a call?
This seems bonkers. Am now calling CX (Chancellor), Gove, everyone. Best wishes. Dc.”
Mr Cameron also messaged Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove, who he fell out with over the Brexit referendum, saying: “I know you are manically busy – and doing a great job, by the way… But do you have a moment for a word?” Meanwhile, the Financial Conduct Authority is probing Greensill over “potentially criminal” allegations about its collapse. It was put into administration in March, threatening thousands of British jobs at Liberty Steel which was dependent on its finance.
Greensill ensured that suppliers got paid more rapidly by their customers and charged a fee for its service.
Owner Lex Greensill apologised for the collapse and said he took “complete responsibility” before MPs on the Treasury committee yesterday. Labour’s Siobhain McDonagh asked him, “are you a fraudster?” He replied: “No, Ms McDonagh, I’m not.” Labour MP Rushanara Ali said the firm was a “Ponzi scheme”.