Liz Truss sparks row over private talks with Australian minister
International trade secretary Liz Truss has come under fire following a potential breach of the ministerial code of conduct.
Truss met Australian trade minister Simon Birmingham at the end of December. Birmingham was visiting the UK in a personal capacity and the two politicians arranged to meet for a meal, along with their families.
Over dinner, the pair discussed a potential UK-Australia trade deal. However, City A.M. understands that no civil servants were at the meeting despite the ministerial code requiring the presence of an official “for all discussions relating to government business.”
A spokesperson for Truss did not deny the code of conduct had been breached.
They said: “Liz told her Principal Private Secretary (PPS) about the meeting and the PPS asked if she wanted anyone from the civil service there, to which she said ‘no’.
“A full read out [of the meeting] was given to him afterwards.”
When it was suggested that Truss had broken the code by not taking an official to the dinner, the spokesperson said: “She was told that it wasn’t necessary by the PPS.”
A spokesperson for the Department of International Trade denied Truss had done anything wrong, claiming she raised the meeting with officials beforehand and reported back afterwards.
The code says: “If a Minister meets an external organisation or individual and finds themselves discussing official business without an official present…any significant content should be passed back to the department as soon as possible after the event.”
However, Labour’s shadow trade secretary, Barry Gardiner, said Truss was clearly in violation of the rules.
“The ministerial code is quite clear that any meeting with a foreign government minister where policy is to be discussed should be attended by a civil servant,” he said.
“The secretary of state has to explain why she did not abide by the code and cannot shuffle off the responsibility onto her private secretary.”
Downing Street declined to comment.
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