Jenrick under fire over mining boss meeting
V LABOUR HAS called on Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick to explain a 2018 meeting with Israeli billionaire Idan Ofer, who had an interest in the future of a mining project being overseen at the time by Mr Jenrick.
Idan Ofer, an Israeli shipping and mining magnate, met Mr Jenrick while he was serving as Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury in 2018.
Mr Jenrick was then overseeing a request by Sirius Minerals — a competitor to Mr Ofer’s UK-based Cleveland Potash — for financial support for a new mine.
Sirius Minerals revealed in 2019 that the Treasury had refused its request for financial support, leaving the firm insolvent.
The corporation, which had been seeking to build Britain’s first new deep mine in 40 years, was eventually purchased by Anglo-American in January in a step that saw many small shareholders’ savings and investments wiped out.
A spokesperson for Mr Jenrick said on Friday that Mr Ofer was a “family friend” and that the then-Exchequer Secretary had notified officials who advised him to step back from the decision on Sirius.
Pressure: Robert Jenrick
Shadow housing and communities secretary Steve Reed said: “Mr Jenrick must now tell us whether he declared his friendship with Mr Ofer to officials prior to the meeting, why he did not immediately step back from making the decisions and what further discussions he had with Mr Ofer.
“It’s time for some honesty. Mr Jenrick must come to the House of Commons
to explain exactly what he’s been up to because the public are now worried that a new era of Tory sleaze has begun in earnest.”
Mr Jenrick is also facing intense scrutiny over allegations in the Sunday Times that he overrode senior civil servants’ advice not to grant planning permission for a £1bn housing project backed by Conservative donor Richard Desmond.
Mr Jenrick was reported to have been warned that granting permission to the Westferry Printworks project would be a violation of planning rules and that the project was likely to face judicial review.
The Housing Secretary gave the goahead to the scheme the day before a new tax came into force — which would have cost Mr Desmond’s developers between £30 and £50 million.
Mr Jenrick had previously sat next to the Daily Star and Daily Express owner at a Conservative fundraiser and had watched a promotional video of the Isle of Dogs-based project on Mr Desmond’s phone.
Mr Reed said: “These explosive revelations show Mr Jenrick has new and very serious questions to answer.”
The Ministry of Housing and Local Government has been contacted for comment.
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