Greensill had 2nd man in Whitehall

ANOTHER director of Greensill Capital – the loans firm at the centre of the lobbying scandal engulfing David Cameron – was given access to Whitehall, the Mail on Sunday can reveal.

Financier David Brierwood was appointed as a crown representative by Mr Cameron’s government in October 2014 to help oversee public procurement.

But two months later, he was also appointed to the board of Lex Greensill’s firm, boosting the company’s access to Ministers.

Investigation by The Mail on Sunday has established that while he was in these dual roles, Greensill Capital won a controversial Government contract to provide short-term loans for the country’s chemists. The revelation will ramp up demands for more scrutiny of Mr Cameron and his involvement with Greensill Capital.

The firm provided short-term funding for a fee to businesses waiting for money from a customer and in 2012 advised Mr Cameron’s administration on such a scheme for chemists facing delays in payments from the NHS.

In 2014, Mr Greensill was appointed as a Crown representative. Seven months later, Mr Brierwood was given the same role, working with the Cabinet Office.

Greensill Capital subsequently launched a bid to operate the pharmacy loan scheme, securing a string of meetings in Whitehall.

Greensill Capital and its technology partner Taulia won the contract for ‘early payment solutions’ for pharmacies in March 2018. The scheme was launched in July 2018 and has provided supply finance payments of £1.2 billion for more than 2,000 chemists.

Mr Brierwood, who left his Crown representative role in August 2018, reportedly stood down from the Greensill Capital board in February this year.

Mr Cameron and Mr Brierwood did not respond to requests for comment.