Cabinet minister Liz Truss dragged into David Cameron lobbying scandal
CABINET minister Liz Truss was yesterday dragged into the Tory lobbying scandal.
Ms Truss, the International Trade Secretary, has appointed a Greensill advisor to a top role.
Ex-PM David Cameron is under fire for sending texts to Chancellor Rishi Sunak begging for a multi-million bailout for the finance firm.
Ms Truss last week gave Julie Bishop, ex-Australian foreign minister, an unpaid role on the G7’s Gender Equality Advisory Council.
She made the announcement on the Government website as the UK currently holds the G7 presidency.
Ms Bishop took a job with Greensill Capital in 2019.
She was pictured with its boss Lex Greensill at the Davos economic forum in Switzerland last year.
On her appointment, he hailed Ms Bishop’s “unparalleled experience and expertise” on the world stage.
She suspended her consultancy deal with Greensill through her company Julie Bishop and Partners before taking up the G7 role.
Ms Truss was Education Secretary in 2012 under then-PM Mr Cameron. She was then made Environment Secretary in 2014 and has been in Cabinet ever since.
Mr Greensill was brought into the heart of Whitehall by Cabinet Secretary Lord Heywood.
He touted an early payment system for suppliers in return for a fee.
Ms Bishop — then an Australian MP — was pictured with Mr Cameron at a Nuclear Security Summit in the US in 2016. He left office later that year and started at Greensill as an advisor in 2018.
Greensill, the main backer of Liberty Steel, went into administration last month putting 5,000 jobs at risk.
SLEAZE ALLEGATIONS
A government source said: “We were unaware of any Greensill link when appointing her. Julie will do a great job pushing women’s economic empowerment and equality in an unpaid role.”
Meanwhile, Mr Cameron is challenged to come clean over sleaze allegations.
Labour insisted there is a public interest in revealing the content of text messages to ministers and aides.
Shadow Treasury Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “David Cameron and the Chancellor must come clean.
“That means releasing their text messages, phone calls and secret meetings.”
Mr Sunak has not been seen in the Commons recently.
Shadow Chancellor Anneliese Dodds insisted: “The Chancellor is running scared of scrutiny over his role in the Greensill affair, but the public demand answers.
“He should come out of hiding and explain himself.”
Cabinet Office officials have contacted major firms to inquire if any government officials are on the payroll.
But 34,000 people quit the Civil Service every year.
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Lord Pickles, who wants tougher powers for his Advisory Committee on Business Appointments, said that paid leave to prevent conflict of interest would put a huge burden on public finances.
Bill Crothers, head of Whitehall procurement, is also under fire for taking a job at Greensill while working as a civil servant.
A senior source said: “It’s time to act. People need to understand that if they break the rules, there will be serious consequences.”