David Cameron denies speaking to Lex Greensill about future job while Prime Minister
David Cameron has denied he spoke with Lex Greensill about one day working for his supply chain finance firm while he was Prime Minister.
Greensill, an Australian former investment banker, worked as an adviser in the Cabinet Office from 2011 while Cameron was Prime Minister.
Cameron went on to work for now failed Greensill Capital after his term in Downing Street, sparking allegations there had been a quid pro quo arrangement between the pair.
The former Prime Minister went on to fiercely lobby government ministers and civil servants last year for Greensill Capital in a bid to gain access to an emergency Covid scheme.
The firm went bust two months ago when its main insurer pulled its coverage.
Cameron told parliament’s Public Accounts Committee today that he only met Greensill twice while the Australian was a government adviser and that he couldn’t recall whether he approved the appointment.
“There was no conversation while I was in office with Mr Greensill about potentially working for him. I met him twice and that was never raised with me,” Cameron said.
Greensill was brought in to implement supply chain finance into government departments, including the Department of Health.
Supply chain finance is a complicated process that sees third-party firms pay the suppliers of large businesses faster than planned and then securitise the debt it’s owed.
“I liked it, because we were in a credit crunch at the time,” Cameron said.
“The bank wasn’t lending the way we wanted them to. This was a way of extending credit to small businesses.”
A number of Westminster inquiries have been launched about Cameron’s effort to lobby senior government members, such as Rishi Sunak and Michael Gove, including one by Boris Johnson.
The Treasury Select Committee released all 56 texts, emails and Whatsapp messages Cameron had in March and April last year with ministers, government civil servants and Bank of England officials.
Labour MP Angela Eagle told Cameron in a Treasury Select Committee earlier today that his intense lobbying resembled stalking.