‘Can I give you lunch?’ David Cameron sent more than 40 messages to ministers and officials to lobby for Greensill
David Cameron complained that a decision to exclude failed Greensill Capital from a government bailout programme was “bonkers” and “nuts” in a spray of more than 40 texts and emails to ministers and officials, new documents today revealed.
Evidence compiled by the Treasury Select Committee for an inquiry show Cameron messaged ministers, Treasury civil servants and Bank of England bosses 41 times in a month and a half to lobby them on behalf of Greensill Capital, where he worked.
Cameron’s lobbying of government ministers for Greensill Capital is being scrutinised by multiple inquiries, including one by Boris Johnson and one by the Treasury Select Committee.
The explosive texts show Cameron first texted Treasury top civil servant Tom Scholar on 3 March last year to try and get Greensill Capital accepted into the emergency Covid Corporate Financing Facility (CCFF) programme.
He wrote: “Three questions: Is Sir Jon [Cunliffe] still at the bank? Do you have a number? Can I give you lunch once this budget is done? Love Dc.”
He also said to Scholar that he would “see you with Rishi [Sunak] for an elbow bump or foot tap” as Cameron tried to woo the Treasury.
Cameron furiously texted Scholar on 3 April when the supply chain finance firm was denied entry into the CCCFF programme – which saw the Bank of England buy bonds in investment grade companies to inject emergency cash during Covid-19 – after a month of lobbying by the former Prime Minister.
He said he was “genuinely baffled”, that the decision was “bonkers” and that he would be calling “the chancellor, Gove, everyone” to get his way.
He then texted Rishi Sunak to say the decision to not involve Greensill Capital in the scheme was “nuts”.
In a text to City minister John Glen, Cameron said: “There is a problem with SME finance and the Tresaury I know you can fix…thanks so much.”
Glen, and the other ministers and officials Cameron texted, did not fix it as Greensill were continually denied entry into the CCFF.
The release of texts comes as Cameron is set to face a Treasury Select Committee grilling on Thursday, with Greensill Capital founder Lex Greensill to appear at the committee this afternoon.
The Cameron-Greensill lobbying scandal was sparked by a series of damaging stories earlier this year in the Sunday Times and Financial Times about the former PM’s involvement in lobbying the government.
It was eventually revealed that Cameron had hired Greensill as a government advisor when he was Prime Minister, sparking quid pro quo allegations.
Johnson’s review, led by prominent lawyer Nigel Boardman, will investigate Cameron’s role in lobbying cabinet secretaries on behalf of Greensill while he worked at the finance firm as a part of a wider probe into lobbying.
Cameron released a 1000-word statement on the scandal last month as the story began to dominate media coverage.
He refused to apologise, saying he “thought it was right for me to make representations on behalf of a company involved in financing a large number of UK firms”.
He added: “As a former prime minister, I accept that communications with government need to be done through only the most formal of channels, so there can be no room for misinterpretation.”