Labour to force binding vote establishing “full, transparent” parliamentary inquiry into Greensill scandal

Labour will table a binding motion that would establish a new select committee to investigate the Greensill lobbying scandal, which would have the power to ask witnesses to give evidence and face questioning.

The remit of the select committee would include:

· that those caught up in the Greensill scandal – including Rishi Sunak, Matt Hancock and former Prime Minister David Cameron - should come before Parliament to provide full transparency and publish key evidence.
· the inquiry provides taxpayers with an explanation of how and why Lex Greensill and Greensill Capital were given such huge access to the heart of government
· the Government make public all communications relating to Greensill Capital between David Cameron, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Health Secretary, the Prime Minister, Special Advisors and senior staff
· the inquiry be Parliament-run, with cross-party representation on the board
· the person leading the inquiry should have the support of the House of Commons.

Labour has said the Boardman investigation announced by the Government on has “all the hallmarks of a Conservative cover up”, likening it to other investigations – such as the Priti Patel bullying case and the Russia Report - that have been held behind closed doors and resulted in little or no action.

Revelations around the Greensill scandal have escalated week on week since the company collapsed in March, leaving thousands of jobs at risk. Greensill Capital was the only supply chain firm granted access to the Government’s CLBILS Covid loan scheme, putting hundreds of millions of pounds of taxpayer money at risk.

Last week, Labour also called for the Government to use the upcoming Queen’s Speech to legislate for the expansion of the scope of the lobbying register to include in-house lobbyists – a move that could have detected the nature of Cameron’s lobbying activities for Greensill sooner.

Rachel Reeves MP, Labour’s Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said:

“Any Conservative who wants to stop the cronyism rampant in their party and in government must vote with Labour this week to uncover once and for all the truth behind this scandal.

“The Greensill scandal is just the tip of the iceberg in Conservative cronyism which has been endemic during the pandemic and long before – laced through billions of pounds of contracts paid for by taxpayers and a slew of troubling senior appointments.

“The Conservatives cannot be trusted to mark their own homework on this. The Boardman investigation has all the hallmarks of a Conservative cover up - the British public, especially those with their jobs on the line as a result of Greensill’s collapse, deserve answers.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors
Rachel Reeves MP will open the debate for Labour, with Anneliese Dodds MP closing.

The full text of the Labour motion:
That the following Standing Order shall have effect until 31 December 2021:

Investigation into the Lobbying of Government Committee

(1) There shall be a select committee, called the Investigation into Lobbying of Government Committee, to consider:

(a) the effectiveness of existing legislation to prevent the inappropriate lobbying of Ministers and Government;

(b) the rules governing all public officials regarding conflicts of interest;

(c) the circumstances surrounding the appointment of Lex Greensill as an adviser in Government and the process by which Greensill Capital was approved for commercial arrangements with Government departments and other public sector bodies; and

(d) the role Government played in facilitating the commercial relationship between Greensill Capital and the Gupta Family Group Alliance.

(2) It shall be an instruction to the Committee that it:

(a) considers whether there are robust transparency and accountability procedures in place and whether existing rules are being adhered to;

(b) considers whether the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments’ regulatory framework and sanctioning powers are sufficient to enforce its advice;

(c) assesses the extent of undue influence that former politicians and advisers have on the policies and programmes of government departments and non-departmental public bodies; and

(d) that it makes a first Report to the House no later than 18th October 2021

(3) The committee shall consist of sixteen members of whom 15 shall nominated by the Committee of Selection in the same manner as those Select Committees appointed in accordance with Standing Order No. 121;

(4) The Chair of the Committee shall be a backbench Member of a party represented in Her Majesty’s Government and shall be elected by the House under arrangements approved by Mr Speaker.

(5) Unless the House otherwise orders, each Member nominated to the committee shall continue to be a member of it until the expiration of this Order.

(6) The committee shall have power—

(a) to send for persons, papers and records, to sit notwithstanding any adjournment of the House, to adjourn from place to place, and to report from time to time; and
(b) to appoint specialist advisers to supply information which is not readily available or to elucidate matters of complexity within the committee’s order of reference.

(7) The committee shall have power to appoint a sub-committee, which shall have power to send for persons, papers and records, to sit notwithstanding any adjournment of the House, to adjourn from place to place, and to report to the committee from time to time.

(8) The committee shall have power to report from time to time the evidence taken before the sub-committee.