Lobbying rules already ‘quite robust’ says Cabinet minister
THERE are already “some quite robust systems” in place on lobbying, a senior minister has argued in the wake of the Greensill Capital controversy.
A series of probes have been commissioned, including by Downing Street, as Westminster looks to understand the role David Cameron played in securing Whitehall access for Greensill, which was selected as an intermediary lender for some Covid-19 support loans at the start of the pandemic, and whose collapse now risks thousands of jobs, particularly in the steel sector.
The saga deepened last week after it emerged that the former head of government procurement, Bill Crothers, took a parttime position with the failed firm while still in his Whitehall post.
However, while Environment Secretary George Eustice said there might be “tweaks” required following the review into Greensill
by No 10, the Cabinet Secretary and parliamentary committees, he argued the system is already “pretty good”.
Mr Eustice, who also defended former Prime Minister Mr Cameron’s actions, told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show: “What I am saying is that we have already got some quite robust systems in place and the principal one is the ministerial code – it is about how ministers conduct themselves based on the people they have talked to.
“So, we should be worried less about who they have talked to, worried much more about ‘are they unduly influenced by individuals?’”
Labour accused the Government of failing to understand the extent of the controversy.
Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Rachel Reeves, the Leeds West MP, said: “Having failed to deflect the blame, the Government’s latest approach appears to be to shrug their shoulders and say, ‘Scandal? What scandal?’
“We don’t need the ‘tweaks’ Eustice said they might consider today, we need to tackle Tory sleaze with a full, independent, transparent inquiry.”