THE SNP are pushing for a full inquiry into a “cash for access” scandal in the Labour Government after it emerged the party offered companies the chance to meet the Business Secretary for £30,000.
According to a report in The Sun, Labour offered businesses the opportunity to meet Jonathan Reynolds at The Ivy.
For £15,000 they could get a picture with him or for £30,000 the businesses were able to choose the guest list for the meeting to discuss UK Government business policy.
The SNP say there is a “growing stench of sleaze” within Labour, given this follows concerns peer Lord Waheed Alli was given a security pass to Downing Street after donating thousands of pounds of freebies to Keir Starmer, despite having no role in government.
He is now under invesitgation by the House of Lords authorities for allegedly failing to properly declare his business dealings.
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Meanwhile, the Financial Times reported the wife of Labour Party donor Dale Vince, who has given millions to the party, has claimed that the businessman anticipates being given a peerage or knighthood after he bankrolled Starmer’s General Election campaign.
Separately, it has emerged that Labour Cabinet ministers have accepted more than £800,000 of freebies and donations over the past year alone, including donations from organisations with lobbying interests.
SNP MP Brendan O’Hara (below) has now written to Laurie Magnus, the independent adviser on ministers' interests, raising concerns about the “sleazy conduct” of the Labour Government.
He said in the letter: “Concern over the Labour Party 'cash for access' scandal is growing every day, with more grubby details emerging that suggest donors are getting special access and influence over the Labour Government in exchange for cash and gifts.
“There is a growing stench of sleaze from this Labour government and public anger on this issue is not going away. People expect transparency and accountability – and that is why a full inquiry into the Labour Government cash for access scandal is required.”
O’Hara expressed fears the Government was “using its position to benefit its own financial interests”, allegedly it may be breaching the sections of the ministerial code on integrity, selflessness and objectivity.
The Labour Party also took £4 million from a Cayman Islands-registered hedge fund with shares worth hundreds of millions of pounds in fossil fuels, private health firms, arms manufacturers and asset managers.
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This week Starmer announced he was handing back more than £6000 worth of gifts but told reporters on Friday this was not an admission of a “misstep”.
The Prime Minister is reimbursing the cost of six Taylor Swift tickets, four tickets to the races and a clothing rental agreement with a high-end designer favoured by his wife, Lady Victoria Starmer.
Starmer has also said he would not be urging his fellow Cabinet members to hand back their post-election freebies and dodged a question on whether he needed to look at the way politics was funded following the row.
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