Ex-Minister’s Brexit peerage boast
THERESA May faced a fresh Tory sleaze row last night over claims that a former Cabinet Minister boasted he was in line for a peerage during a ‘cash for Brexit’ sting.
Ex-Trade Secretary Peter Lilley told an undercover TV reporter posing as a Chinese businesswoman that he would consider offering paid advice on our EU withdrawal.
Senior Conservatives fear that if reports of 74-year-old Mr Lilley’s alleged comments are accurate, Mrs May might even reconsider plans to give him a peerage in the next few weeks. He is said to have boasted:
He expected to receive a peerage in the next honours round.
He had close links to Brexit Minister Steve Baker and priviliged access to International Trade Secretary Liam Fox’s department.
He held regular meetings with hardline Brexit MP Jacob Rees-Mogg’s powerful Tory European Research Group (ERG).
Mr Lilley – who stepped down as an MP at last year’s Election – is also accused of trying to stop Channel 4 airing the Dispatches expose.
Sources claim he rang former Treasury mandarin Lord Burns, the chairman of the broadcasting watchdog Ofcom, to persuade him to raise his concerns with his successor as Channel 4 chairman, Charles Gurassa.
Ofcom last night strongly denied exerting any influence.
During the Channel 4 investigation – revealed by the MoS last week – it is understood that Mr Lilley told the reporter he maintained links with the influential ERG.
Last night he said: ‘This was an attempt at entrapment which failed. Channel 4 acknowledges that I made it crystal clear that I would not disclose secret or confidential information.’
A Channel 4 spokesman said: ‘We have been clear those featured maintain they have not breached the code on parliamentary standards – and the programme does not allege they have – but their activities raise important questions.’