EX-DUP spad’s lobby role storm

A DUP special adviser took up a consultancy job at a lobbying firm a month after leaving his ministerial post in Arlene Foster’s office.

Alastair Ross was a Junior Minister in the Executive Office just weeks before he joined Weber Shandwick to advise clients on “how best to engage with politicians”.

Stormont is now facing calls to tighten lobbying rules for former ministers in light of the Greensill Capital controversy involving ex-prime Minister David Cameron.

Ministerial codes in England, Scotland and Wales prohibit ex-ministers from lobbying government for two years.

They are also required to seek advice from an independent panel But in Northern Ireland, no such rules exist. Mr Ross is currently a special adviser to Economy Minister Diane Dodds.

The EX-DUP MLA was a Junior Minister in First Minister Mrs Foster’s office until March 2017.

Mr Ross became a consultant for PR firm Weber Shandwick in April 2017. He left the role upon taking up his Spad role last year.

Failed finance company Greensill Capital is at the centre of a lobbying row after it emerged David Cameron had contacted current ministers about loans on behalf of the company while working there as a consultant after leaving office. TUV leader Jim Allister, whor had a bill passed through the Assembly to monitor lobbying, said Greensill highlights another “significant deficiency” in Stormont’s rules.

He added: “My bill introduced important measures to tighten up lobbying such as requiring the making and keeping of records when ministers or Spads are lobbied and creating a criminal offence relating to a minister or Spad disclosing official information for the financial or other improper benefit of third parties.

“The Greensill affair does, however, expose another weakness in the rules on lobbying in Northern Ireland.”

Greensill exposes weakness in rules in [Stormont] JIM ALLISTER TUV LEADER YESTERDSAY