David Cameron

A former government chief commercial officer who became an adviser to Greensill Capital while still working as a civil servant has insisted there was no conflict of interest, amid questions over the firm’s lobbying. Bill Crothers told MPs on the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee (PACAC) that his intention was to follow the rules […]

David Cameron has said he often signs off text messages “love DC”, as he defended his informal approach to lobbying Whitehall. The former prime minister bombarded ministers and Government officials with texts as he controversially lobbied for Greensill Capital. The Conservative politician said it was a “painful day” for him on Thursday as he gave […]

David Cameron is to face a grilling by MPs over his lobbying activities for collapsed finance firm Greensill Capital. The former prime minister is appearing at back-to-back hearings by the Commons Treasury and Public Accounts committees. Earlier this week, the Treasury Committee released dozens of texts and emails Cameron sent to ministers and senior officials […]

Records of David Cameron’s intense lobbying efforts for Greensill Capital have been released to reveal text messages he sent chancellor Rishi Sunak and senior cabinet minister Michael Gove. The Conservative former prime minister also sent messages to vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi during the pandemic as he sought to gain access for Greensill to government-backed coronavirus […]

Scandal-hit financier Lex Greensill will be questioned by MPs over the collapse of his firm and the lobbying controversy centred on former prime minister David Cameron. MPs on the cross-party Treasury Committee will quiz the boss on Tuesday afternoon on the demise of Greensill Capital, which jeopardised 5,000 steelmaking jobs in the UK. The committee’s […]

Former prime minister David Cameron and financier Lex Greensill are due to appear before MPs next week, amid controversy over lobbying. Greensill will answer questions from the Treasury Committee next Tuesday, and Cameron will follow on Thursday, as part of the Lessons from Greensill Capital inquiry. Links between Greensill, which was founded by the financier, […]

Labour is piling pressure on chancellor Rishi Sunak over his lobbying links by urging him to “come clean” with a publication of his correspondence over changes to tax rules and coronavirus support schemes. The opposition party has called for Sunak to share details surrounding “tax breaks by text” after a lobbying row widened to involve communications […]

David Cameron has hit back at claims Greensill Capital had been begging for access to the government-backed Covid loan scheme. Cameron said it was “nonsense” to say the finance firm has been “in difficulty” when he lobbed on its behalf. But Labour said the company, which later collapsed, had been “desperate for access to taxpayer […]

The Greensill scandal has exposed long-running tensions caused by a decision to allow business interests into the corridors of Whitehall In May 2010, Gordon Brown left a handwritten note to David Cameron, the incoming prime minister, with a simple message: “The country is in good hands. Jeremy is running it.” Nine years later, Brown’s telling […]

David Cameron repeatedly lobbied Bank of England officials as he grew increasingly frustrated about Greensill Capital’s failure to access a state-backed coronavirus support scheme. The former prime minister, who worked as an adviser for Lex Greensill’s financial firm, also contacted the Treasury as he tried unsuccessfully to get the firm’s activities covered by the Covid […]

The opposition has demanded that the powerful Liaison Committee of MPs holds an urgent investigation into Boris Johnson’s conduct after fresh revelations about Tory sleaze. The call came after it emerged the prime minister exchanged text messages with billionaire James Dyson over the tax status of his employees. Johnson promised the entrepreneur he would “fix” […]

The scandal surrounding David Cameron’s lobbying lays bare exactly what is meant by ‘selling off the NHS’ Seen from afar, the running saga of David Cameron’s efforts to meet with every minister in the UK (and beyond) on behalf of his clients can be a strange one. To even a casual observer, it seems like […]

David Cameron and Rishi Sunak have been sent a series of demands by a parliamentary inquiry into the former prime minister’s lobbying activities for Greensill Capital. The Commons Treasury Committee wrote to the pair on Tuesday, setting a May 6 deadline to answer the questions ahead of a possible appearance before MPs over the controversy. […]

David Cameron and Rishi Sunak could be called before MPs to answer questions about the former prime minister’s lobbying activities for Greensill Capital. The Commons Treasury Committee will seek to question the pair after it emerged Cameron sent text messages to the chancellor as he sought to gain access to Government-backed coronavirus loans for Greensill. […]

The former president of the European Commission has said he “made a mistake” in listening to David Cameron after being told not to interfere with the Brexit debate in the UK. Jean-Claude Juncker said he “should not have listened” to the former prime minister and “spoken out” on the issue. It comes as the row […]

Britain’s slack system for regulating politics is responsible for a devastating lack of public trust. If he were a more sympathetic figure, David Cameron would have a certain air of pathos about him – the longer he lives, the worse his reputation gets. Born to riches and elected to the highest office in the UK, everything since […]

A very limited review has been set up to look into the Greensill lobbying affair – do not expect much from it. Alexander “Lex” Greensill, formerly of Morgan Stanley, is clearly a forceful and persuasive personality. The Autralian farmer-turned-financier was adviser to the government from 2012 to 2015, during which time, he appears to have […]

The government’s links with collapsed finance firm Greensill Capital are to come under further scrutiny as ministers continue to face questions over David Cameron’s lobbying activities. The head of the watchdog which exposed the way the former head of government procurement was able to take a position as a part-time adviser to the firm while […]

Conservative MPs have voted down a proposal for a parliamentary inquiry into the Greensill lobbying scandal. MPs rejected Labour’s bid to establish a committee to investigate the lobbying of government by 357 votes to 262, with a majority of 95. Under the proposal, ministers would be forced before parliament to give evidence and the government would […]

Labour has called for a parliamentary investigation into the David Cameron lobbying scandal over Greensill, telling MPs the former prime minister is “only sorry he got caught”. Shadow Cabinet Office minister Rachel Reeves told the Commons: “Having refused to respond to any questions at all for 40 days, David Cameron chose a period of national grief, […]

The former head of Whitehall procurement became an adviser to Greensill Capital while still working as a civil servant in a move approved by the Cabinet Office, it has emerged. Downing Street has announced an independent review into how the failed firm secured government contracts, following a series of reports on former prime minister David […]

MPs have asked what Rishi Sunak is “afraid of” by avoiding the House of Commons during an urgent question on David Cameron and his involvement in the Greensill lobbying row. Text messages revealed Sunak revealed “pushed” officials to consider plans that could have helped the firm Cameron was lobbying for. Labour MP Andrew Gwynne told […]

Ministers are expected to face questions in the House of Commons over David Cameron’s lobbying activities on behalf of the collapsed financial firm Greensill Capital. Shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds has been granted an urgent Commons question calling on chancellor Rishi Sunak to explain how Greensill was granted access to a Covid loan scheme for businesses, […]

Boris Johnson has commissioned a wide-ranging independent review into Greensill Capital, the collapsed financial firm for which David Cameron lobbied ministers. Downing Street announced that lawyer Nigel Boardman is due to lead the probe, which will examine how government contracts were secured by the company and the actions of the former prime minister. Cameron accepted […]

Gordon Brown has said former prime ministers “must never” lobby government for commercial purposes as he admonished David Cameron’s own efforts. The former prime minister also chided ministers who allowed Cameron to lobby them through unofficial channels.  Brown told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “Former prime ministers must never be lobbying for commercial purposes. Current […]

David Cameron has defended meeting Saudi Arabia’s crown prince Mohammed bin Salman during a business trip in January last year. The former British prime minister said he and scandal-hit financier Lex Greensill met the leader during a trip to the kingdom while advising on the country’s upcoming chairmanship of the G20. Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, […]

David Cameron has accepted he should have communicated with the government “through only the most formal of channels” as he acknowledged he made mis-steps over the Greensill Capital lobbying controversy. Breaking his weeks of silence, the former prime minister said in a statement that having “reflected on this at length” he accepts there are “important […]

David Cameron took scandal-hit financier Lex Greensill for a “private drink” with health secretary Matt Hancock to discuss a payment scheme later rolled out in the NHS. The Sunday Times also reported that the Treasury reconsidered Greensill’s application for an emergency coronavirus loan after the former prime minister messaged a senior adviser to Boris Johnson. […]