The Greensill affair rekindles the rivalry between Cameron and Johnson and the spotlight on lobbyists and politics
Boris versus David. Anyone who thought that the rivalry between the two most imposing figures of post-Thatcher British conservatism ended with Brexit was wrong. The case related to the bankruptcy of Greensill Capital , a financial company of which Cameron had been a consultant for two years, has rekindled the feud. The case erupted after the former prime minister personally wrote to Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, to try to bring the government's attention to the company, a majority shareholder also in Liberty Steel , the third largest steel mill in the country.
Cameron's text messages to Sunak made it into the newspapers, and the manhunt immediately started. Although Cameron formally acted legally and in compliance with the law, which stipulates that politicians cannot have advice for two years after the end of their mandate – Cameron resigned not only as prime minister but also as a parliamentarian in 2016 – the case ended up in the sights of Parliament. Labor has asked for an official commission of inquiry. The Tories voted against, but a commission has been announced, led by an independent lawyer, who will report directly to Boris Johnson. The Finance Commission of the House of Commons has also moved and will ask to hear from Cameron, who said he was "happy to cooperate". It is still unclear whether the former Tory leader will appear in person.
The relations between the former prime minister and Lex Greensill – the Australian financier who owns the company of the same name – date back to the Downing Street years. In 2011, Greensill received an unpaid government advisor position and a desk in the Cabinet Office, where he continued his prepayments project to aid small and medium-sized businesses. After Cameron's mandate, and after the two years required by law, Greensill hired Cameron as a lobbyist: in this capacity, in fact, the conservative politician inquired with Sunak last March to find out if Greensill Capital could take advantage of the loan plan conceived. from the Treasury for companies put in difficulty by Covid .
What has been called into question with this story is the relationship between lobbyists and politics, and between lobbyists and Whitehall. It turns out that Cameron also contacted two Treasury executives and that a member of the Cabinet Office, Bill Crothers, had a part-time job at Greensill while still working for the British administration. Sir Simon Case, the senior executive at Whitehall, recently ordered a survey to see how many mandarins have second jobs, and set a deadline to declare them.
The facts have also re-proposed the issue relating to ACOBA, the Consultative Commission on Business Appointments, chaired by Tory Lord Pickles: many believe it has no powers to define a clear boundary between political activities and lobbying activities. Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown suggests lengthening the deadline between the end of the parliamentary or government mandate and the start of a consultancy activity by politicians.
As for Johnson, he tries to stay on the sidelines. In the end, the affair could damage the Conservative Party, although, of course, it is safe to bet that he does not mind at all to see his friend-rival David in trouble. On Wednesday, in the House, the premier said that “it is a question of understanding what the standards of public life are, not just respecting the rules. Many, perhaps, have not understood the boundaries between the two ”.
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This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Atlantico Quotidiano at the URL http://www.atlanticoquotidiano.it/quotidiano/il-caso-greensill-riaccende-la-rivalita-tra-cameron-e-johnson-e-i-riflettori-su-lobbisti-e-politica/ on Fri, 16 Apr 2021 04:01:00 +0000.