Minister admits Boris Johnson's 'review' of lobbying scandal will have no powers
Boris Johnson’s ‘review’ into the David Cameron lobbying scandal won’t have enforcement powers and won’t make recommendations, a minister has admitted.
He defended Health Secretary Matt Hancock owning a 15% share in a company which has contracts with the NHS.
And he said there's "nothing wrong" with ministers having financial stakes in companies, as long as they don't have a role in procuring from those companies.
The PM's "independent" review, led by lawyer Neil Boardman, who will be ‘pausing’ his job as a director of the Business department to undertake the work, is expected to report back to the PM in June.
But today Environment Secretary George Eustice admitted the “probe” won’t have any power to toughen up lobbying rules - and probably won’t even recommend any changes.
The Red Arrow wrote: ↑Sun Apr 18, 2021 11:52 pm I told you he was a shit.Thank goodness you're here, we'd never have known otherwise.
kreuzberger wrote: ↑Thu May 13, 2021 3:47 pm It's Ascension Day, or Fathers' Day, here today, when groups of blokes roam the streets from mid-morning with cartfuls of increasingly luke warm beer, becoming more lairy as the day wears on.[Gammon] If we won the war, haaw come the Jerries have all the best holidays? [/Gammon]
So yes, I'm glued to the Graun's feed from a safe and sober distance.
Fuck me, he is human Swarfega. Horrible man.
Cameron does not deny using Greensill's private jet to fly to holiday home in CornwallHis tax return for 2019-20 was due at the end of this January. Assuming some of the flights were before this date, he's basically saying he didn't declare them, isn't he?
Q: How many times did you use Greensill plans to fly to your home in Cornwall? Is this a taxable benefit?
Cameron says he used the plane quite a lot on business visits, and “a handful of times” on other visits. All proper taxes will be dealt with, he says.
Cameron says the UK must continue to be a financial innovator.I'm not sure banks are sat there waiting for advice from you, Dave.
There are lots of thinks that banks used to do badly, that other companies are doing better. For example, remittances - money sent abroad
Q: What would you do differently?A formal letter that you chucked in the bin would have been better.
Cameron says, if you work for a company that goes into administration, you ask if you made the right choice. He did due diligence, he says. But he thinks about that.
With regard to contacting the Treasury, he has said a formal letter would be better, coming from a former PM. But they were in special circumstances.
Cameron says Gordon Brown has said former PMs should not have any contact at all with government.Did Gordo actually say that?
He does not agree, he says. He says he can imagine someone like Brown or John Major running a bank. He says as PM he used to talk to the head of BP. Companies like that should be able to talk to government, he says.
Tubby Isaacs wrote: ↑Thu May 13, 2021 4:23 pmGordo said former PMs should not have contact with the government as paid lobbyists for business. I now see.Cameron says Gordon Brown has said former PMs should not have any contact at all with government.Did Gordo actually say that?
He does not agree, he says. He says he can imagine someone like Brown or John Major running a bank. He says as PM he used to talk to the head of BP. Companies like that should be able to talk to government, he says.
Good bait and switch there. Nobody is saying big companies shouldn't be able to talk to the government. It's using the likes of you to jump ahead of other people who also want to speak to the government that's the issue.
- By Tubby Isaacs
I know nothing about Dutch politics, but this seem[…]
