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Labour calls for changes to lobbying law after Greensill row

Party says rules should be widened to include ‘in-house’ roles such as that carried out by David Cameron
The law must be changed to prevent the type of lobbying undertaken by David Cameron on behalf of the financier Lex Greensill, Labour has argued, after more details emerged about the extent of Greensill’s influence inside Cameron’s government.
Only external lobbyists who deal with the government are required to be on a formal industry register, and not so-called “in-house” lobbyists like Cameron, who took an advocacy role for Greensill Capital after leaving Downing Street.
The former prime minister faces questions over allegations that he sent a series of text messages to the personal phone of Rishi Sunak, the chancellor, in April last year to seek special access to emergency Covid loans for Greensill Capital, which has now collapsed.
Labour says it is possible the former PM did not technically breach any rules, even though he reportedly held share options in Greensill Capital potentially worth millions of pounds before the firm’s demise.
Rachel Reeves, the shadow chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster, who is leading Labour efforts on claims about cronyism in government, has called for the law to be widened to include roles such as that carried out by Cameron.It comes as more information emerged about the sweeping influence enjoyed during Cameron’s tenure inside No 10 by Lex Greensill, the Australian financier whose company became a leading provider of so-called supply chain finance, a way of providing rapid funds to businesses affected by late payment.
Greensill, who was initially employed by Citigroup, oversaw a lucrative supply chain finance scheme involving NHS payments to pharmacies. He became so embedded within Downing Street that by 2012 he had an official No 10 business card describing him as a “senior adviser”.
A tranche of official documents leaked to the Sunday Times showed that Greensill was given sufficient authority by Cameron and the then cabinet secretary, Jeremy Heywood, that he sent emails saying his scheme was to be implemented “across government”. One message told officials he was primarily informing them as a courtesy, adding: “We are not seeking your approval.”
Heywood later nominated Greensill for a CBE for “services to the economy”, despite officials questioning the value of his pharmacy payments scheme. One Treasury official wrote in a memo about Greensill: “Rein him in – stop him approaching departments unilaterally.”
Despite the worries, what became known as the pharmacy earlier payment scheme was introduced in 2012, initially run by Citigroup and then by Greensill Capital, without any apparent tendering process or the chance for other banks to bid. Since Greensill collapsed it has been nationalised.
Labour say the Greensill affair demonstrates the significant gap in lobbying rules, pointing to estimates from the campaign group Transparency International suggesting that in-house lobbying could constitute about 80% of all lobbying activity.
Reeves said: “Given the cronyism consuming the Conservative party, it’s crucial that the scope of the lobbying register is expanded to include in-house lobbyists. Otherwise it’s clearly one rule for them and another for everyone else.”
Cameron’s actions, and the access Greensill had across government, “illustrates perfectly both the toothlessness of current rules and Tory ministers’ complete disregard for any self-driven integrity when lobbying”, she said. “In 2014 the Conservatives were more concerned with gagging charities and trade unions than tackling the real issues with commercial lobbying.”
source: Peter Walker
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BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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