CAMERON SCANDAL FIRM TARGETED SCOTS NHS
A FAILED finance firm in the David Cameron lobbying scandal has been accused of trying to get its “claws” into Scotland’s NHS.
Greensill Capital, founded by controversial Australian businessman Lex Greensill, touted a smartphone app to MSPs that allowed NHS staff to get paid early.
They also called for a draft bill which threatened their business model to be changed and namedropped the former Tory PM to a Holyrood Committee.
Monica Lennon, Scottish Labour’s economy spokesperson, said: “The collapse of Greensill
BY PAUL HUTCHEON Political Editor
Capital has raised serious questions about lobbying and the outrageous special access to Cabinet Ministers enjoyed by David Cameron.
“Now we learn that Greensill Capital was also eyeing up Scotland’s NHS by touting its app to a Holyrood committee.
“The health service is under unprecedented pressure and it is very worrying that Greensill wanted to get their claws into our most cherished public service.”
Cameron’s links to Greensill Capital, which filed for insolvency last month, have been described as the “biggest lobbying scandal in a generation”.
The Australian was an adviser to the former PM when he was in Downing Street, and his supply chain finance firm hired Cameron in 2018 after he left office.
Cameron texted Chancellor Rishi Sunak about the firm accessing a Covid loans scheme, and he also took Greensill for a private drink with Health Secretary Matt Hancock in 2019.
The tycoon’s firm wanted to introduce a scheme in the NHS south of the border that would allow nurses and doctors to be paid early.
Some NHS trusts went on to use the Earnd app, which had a working title of Greensill Pay, during the pandemic.
Greensill Capital was also eyeing up Scotland as a potential market.
Holyrood’s Economy, Energy and Fair Work Committee last year asked for views on proposals to change a law which could affect business finance.
Greensill Capital, which flagged up that Lex Greensill had been an adviser to Cameron, raised concerns about a blanket ban in a draft bill on people “assigning” their wages, which is when money can be taken directly from an employee’s wage to pay a debt. They wrote: “The Greensill group of companies has developed a service, called Greensill Pay, which employees can use to request early payment of a portion of their wages.”
Cameron, reportedly in line to earn millions of pounds in shares from Greenshill, has admitted his communications with the UK Government should have been through “formal” channels.
Greensill’s collapse resulted in the loss of nearly 450 jobs and has raised fears over tens of thousands of other jobs at firms that relied on the group for loans.