Business chief: I got abusive calls from 10 Downing Street
SENIOR Government policy advisers “tend to think they’re in the West Wing or The Thick Of It”, a leading business figure has said.
Former British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) director-general John Longworth said he regularly received abusive phone calls and texts from 10 Downing Street officials under David Cameron, calling it “a normal part of business”.
Mr Longworth quit the BCC in the EU referendum campaign, amid claims of direct pressure from Downing Street over his pro-Brexit views. Speaking to the Radio 4 Today programme, Mr Longworth said he did not resign because of this pressure, but did confirm he had received a text in light of his comments.
He added: “I was used to receiving abusive telephone calls and texts from No 10 over a number of years.”
He said such texts were “a normal part of business with No 10 under David Cameron”, adding that “a senior policy wonk” had sent him the message.
Mr Longworth added: “They tend to think they’re in the West Wing or The Thick Of It, and behave accordingly.”
He said he quit because he felt it was important for him to speak freely during the referendum campaign, and that he was particularly disappointed with the deal Mr Cameron got from Brussels prior to the vote.
Mr Longworth is now co-chairman of the Leave Means Leave campaign group, which has written to European business leaders calling on them to put pressure on their governments to ensure tariff-free trade can continue with the UK after Brexit.
Mr Longworth told Radio 4: “Trade takes place between businesses and individuals. Governments just get in the way.
“What’s important for European businesses – and we’re talking business people to business people – is that they actually put some pressure on their governments to continue with free trade.”
He added: “The European Union is not a free trade area, the European Union is a protectionist bloc, which is one of the problems and why the European Union is doing so badly economically.
“I think it’s a golden opportunity in a year in which there are going to be elections in Germany, France and the Netherlands for that paradigm shift to take place.”