Calls for tightening of lobbying rules after Cameron controversy
Labour is calling on the Government to tighten the law on lobbying amid continuing controversy over David Cameron's activities on behalf of the collapsed finance company Greensill Capital.
Shadow Cabinet Office minister Rachel Reeves said ministers should include legislation innextmonth'squeen'sspeech to expand the register of lobbyiststocoverso-called"inhouse" lobbyists like the former prime minister. Under the existing rules,mrcamerondidnothave to make a declaration when he went to work for Greensill after leaving office as he was not an outside "consultant" lobbyist.
There have been growing questions about his activities afteritemergedheusedhiscontacts to lobby Chancellor Rishi Sunak for support for the firm throughthegovernment'scovidcorporatefinancingfacility.
The application was rejected byofficialsandgreensillsubse
quentlyfiledforinsolvency,putting at risk thousands of steelmaking jobs in the UK and rendering Mr Cameron's reported tensofmillionsofshareoptions worthless.
Ms Reeves told Times Radio: "It does seem to be one rule if you've got close connections to this Tory Government and anotherruleforeverybodyelse, whether that is Dominic Cummings, disobeying the rules last Easter when he did his little trip up to Durham and Barnard Castle, or whether it is David Cameron having the telephone numbers of serving Conservative ministers today, and asking them to look favourably on a company he happens to work with and has share options worth £60 million."
She added: "Given the cronyism consuming the Conservative party, it's crucial that the scope of the lobbying register is expanded to include in-house lobbyists. Otherwise it's clearly one rule for them, and another for everyone else.
"The former Conservative prime minister's conduct and the immense access Greensill was given illustrate perfectly both the toothlessness of current rules, and Tory ministers' completedisregardforanyselfdrivenintegritywhenlobbying.
"Alabourgovernmentwould create an integrity and ethics commission to restore transparency and accountability back into the heart of government, introduce a fairer framework for commercial lobbying, stampoutcronycontractswhile freeing up civil society to campaign."