Former cabinet ministers have been exposed attempting to profit from a new cash for Brexit gravy train in Westminster, following an undercover investigation.
Lord Lansley, the former health secretary, was secretly filmed offering to use his knowledge and connections from within Westminster to provide “intelligence” on Brexit to a Chinese company offering him tens of thousands of pounds.
The peer, who has previously been accused of “ripping the heart” out of a bill to regulate lobbying, showed he was willing to pick up information from a key Brexit cabinet minister. He advised how the deal could be kept secret from the authorities by employing him through his wife’s company.
Peter Lilley, the former deputy Conservative Party leader, was also willing to approach key ministers on the Chinese company’s behalf. As part of his pitch for the job he described how he attended two advisory groups with influence over the Brexit ministers, one of which has never previously been revealed.
A third former minister, Andrew Mitchell MP, also appeared happy to give paid Brexit advice to the Chinese company. He charges £6,000 a day and disclosed that he was looking to work up to 10 weeks a year for private clients despite being paid £74,962 as an MP. “My constituents don’t mind what I’m paid,” he said.
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The three men were secretly filmed as part of a joint undercover investigation by The Sunday Times and Channel 4’s Dispatches into politicians improperly making money from Britain’s negotiations to leave the European Union.
Our investigation was prompted by sources within Whitehall and the Conservative Party who told this newspaper that Brexit had triggered a lobbying frenzy as businesses attempted to acquire intelligence about the negotiations.
Several former ministers were said to have become “guns for hire” to those seeking advice from within government. Our research found more than 20 politicians are making money out of Brexit.
Sir Alistair Graham, former chairman of the committee on standards in public life, has seen the undercover footage of the meetings and takes the view that the politicians’ conduct fell below the standards required.
The first requirement of the seven Nolan principles of public life is “selflessness”, which demands that: “Holders of public office should act solely in terms of the public interest.”
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Graham said it was “unacceptable” that former ministers appeared to be acting for private gain rather than the interests of the population on such a crucial issue as Brexit. “To take advantage of this difficult time and confusion to make extra money doesn’t demonstrate a great deal of concern for the public interest,” he said.
A number of former ministers were invited for interviews for a job on the advisory board of a fake Chinese company Tianfen Consulting which had been created by our undercover reporters. The salary offered was £80,000 to prepare for and attend four meetings a year. The initial emails sent to the politicians made clear that the Chinese company aimed to exploit the economic uncertainty surrounding Brexit by hiring an adviser from within Westminster to help to guide its investment strategy.
In his initial meeting with the reporters, Lansley, 61, a “remain” supporter, revealed that he was already making money by giving advice to his pharmaceutical clients on Brexit. He normally charged €5,000 a day for his services.
He talked up his impeccable connections at the top of government — even mentioning that the prime minister came to his wedding — and said his role for the Chinese company would be to provide “intelligence” and advice. He appeared willing to pick up information from one of his close former colleagues, Liam Fox, the international trade minister with responsibility for Brexit.
When the reporter said that gaining intelligence from Fox would be really useful, he replied: “What he [Fox] sees the trade relationship looking like, yes, OK.”
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He drew the line at lobbying government directly himself and said any conversations would have to be within the rules. However, he offered to guide the Chinese company’s lobbying efforts by identifying and facilitating introductions to senior figures in the Brexit process.
Lansley suggested he should be hired through his wife’s communications company, Low Europe. This would have meant the proposed arrangement with the fake Chinese company would have been kept secret from the Lords authorities. He already declares Low Associates, an offshoot of the company, on the Lords register of interests.
Only as the second meeting ended did Lansley say that the Lords code of conduct would have to be included in the contract.
Paid parliamentary advice and services are prohibited and all relevant financial interests should be declared in the public register. There is a general rule that all peers must act on their personal honour.
Last week Lansley issued a statement saying he had recently been treated for cancer. He said he always kept his outside interests separate from his Lords duties and did not provide privileged access, insider information or parliamentary advice and services.
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The second politician, Lilley, a staunch Brexit supporter, revealed that he was a member of two key backroom groups which met privately to advise Steve Baker, the Brexit implementation minister, and Fox.
The two groups, according to Lilley’s account, both had influence over the ministers, pointing out where they were going wrong on Brexit.
He said he had “a very good relationship” with Fox and his fellow Brexit minister, David Davis. While he would not give away secrets or lobby, he was happy to have private chats on Tianfen’s behalf with key people in government. He said he would have to reveal that he was working for a paying client when approaching ministers.
Lilley, 74, had stepped down as an MP in June but said he was expecting to be elevated to the Lords before the work for Tianfen started. A new list of appointees to the Lords will be published soon.
Graham said Lilley was “wrong” to offer “access to very important information” to “one company rather than generally”. He said: “You ask: who’s he interested in here — in looking after the client or the public interest?”
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Last week Lilley said he had not been asked and nor did he agree to have private conversations with any ministers on behalf of the Chinese company. He said any suggestion that a private company would get access to privileged information was “wholly misplaced”.
Mitchell, 61, offered to draw on his business experience and knowledge of government to advise the owner of the Chinese company on Brexit. He revealed that he was heavily committed to his private work outside the Commons.
“I have got these six different roles and they occupy 37 days, I think, and I reckon I have got the capacity of up to 50 days,” he said.
Graham described Mitchell as “a four-day-a-week MP” who was giving private paying clients “too big a chunk of [his] working life”. Lord Bew, chairman of the committee on standards in public life, is holding a public consultation on whether “reasonable limits” should be placed on MPs’ second jobs.
Last week Mitchell said all his outside interests were fully declared on the Commons register. “I abide by the letter and spirit of the rules governing the business interests of members of parliament,” he said.
Read the full Sunday Times story from midnight