RISHI Sunak must stand before Parliament and explain what he meant when he told former prime minister David Cameron he had “pushed” government staff on his behalf, the SNP have said.
The demand comes after the Chancellor revealed private text messages exchanged between himself and the former Tory leader.
In a situation which the SNP say “utterly reeks”, Cameron was angling to get government-backed Covid loans for a firm in which he owned shares, despite the fact that that firm was ineligible.
The financial firm Greensill, on whose behalf Cameron messaged the Chancellor, later went bust, leaving Cameron’s shares worthless.
The former Tory prime minister had reportedly told friends he stood to make as much as $60 million (approximately £44m) should Greensill be listed on the stock exchange.
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The collapsed finance company had approached Treasury officials regarding access to the Covid Corporate Finance Facility (CCFF), administered by the Bank of England.
Sunak said the meetings covered requests made by Greensill to change the terms of the scheme or broaden its scope to allow them access to it, both of which were rejected.
Sunak also said that Cameron “reached out informally by telephone” to him, as well as Economic Secretary John Glen and Financial Secretary Jesse Norman, over Covid support for the firm.
The Chancellor yesterday defended the decision to listen to the requests given the desire to help businesses survive the Covid-19 pandemic, before confirming Cameron’s lobbying activities.
Sunak also published two text messages he sent to Cameron in April 2020, although messages sent by Cameron have been withheld by the Government.
The Treasury, responding to a Freedom of Information request, said: “These communications were made by David Cameron in his capacity as an employee of Greensill, and with an expectation of confidence.”
READ MORE: Demands for David Cameron inquiry after revelations about scandal-hit banker
The first message from Sunak to Cameron, sent on April 3, 2020, read: “Hi David, thanks for your message.
“I am stuck back to back on calls but will try you later this evening and if gets too late, first thing tomorrow. Best, Rishi.”
The second message, sent on April 23, said: “Hi David, apologies for the delay.
“I think the proposals in the end did require a change to the market notice but I have pushed the team to explore an alternative with the Bank that might work.
“No guarantees, but the Bank are currently looking at it and Charles [Roxburgh, the second permanent secretary at the Treasury] should be in touch. Best, Rishi.”
Labour has demanded a “full, transparent and thorough investigation” into the messages, which shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds (above) said “suggest that Greensill Capital got accelerated treatment and access to officials, and that the Chancellor ‘pushed’ officials to consider Greensill’s requests”.
She added that the Chancellor may have broken the ministerial code and “put public money at risk”.
The SNP's shadow Cabinet Office spokesperson, Stewart Hosie MP, hit out at “Tory cronyism”.
Hosie said: "Boris Johnson's Tory government is stumbling from one scandal to the next. The latest developments around Greensill Capital and access to government departments granted to firms with close links to the Tory party has only raised further questions.
"Tory Ministers and former Prime Ministers casually texting each other over government access utterly reeks.
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"When MPs return from recess [on April 13], Rishi Sunak must come before Parliament and set the record straight over his full exchange with David Cameron and what the outcome of those messages were.
“It's clear that Scotland faces a choice of two futures - Tory cronyism under the broken Westminster system, or the opportunity to build a fairer future as an independent country in a post-pandemic referendum.”
Cameron has been exonerated by a watchdog over the issue, after the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists concluded he was an employee of Greensill so was not required to declare himself on the register of consultant lobbyists.
The Treasury said they had nothing to add beyond Sunak's letter to Dodds, which can be read here.
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