Major Tory donors offered access to ministers through secret ‘advisory council’
Leaked documents have revealed that major Tory donors, including several billionaires, have been offered wide-ranging access to ministers through a secret “advisory council”.
The Sunday Times reports that the 14 permanent members of the group, who have all donated at least £250,000, were given access to ministers to lobby on behalf of their companies throughout Covid-19.
Some members have reportedly lobbied ministers for lower taxes, while others have received help when applying for public positions.
Several have been handed public contracts and honours signed off by the government.
The combined wealth of those on the board, their companies and families exceeds £30bn and they have donated £22m to the Conservative party.
Members include Lubov Chernukhin, wife of Vladimir Putin’s former deputy finance minister, and billionaire City grandee Lord Michael Spencer.
Tory party chair Ben Elliott, nephew to Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, has been at the centre of the group as a part of his role as chief fundraiser for the party.
He came under fire last year when he was accused of selling access to Prince Charles.
Anneliese Dodds, chair of the Labour Party, said: “These revelations raise serious national security questions about the cash-for-access culture that Boris Johnson has created at the heart of government.
“The prime minister appointed Ben Elliot as cochairman of the Conservative Party, he sanctioned the creation of a secret club of super-rich donors that gets privileged access to ministers, and he has chosen time and again to turn a blind eye to unacceptable conflicts of interest. This is on him.”
A Conservative spokesman said: “We can confirm that, on occasion, senior Conservative politicians, just like senior Labour and Liberal Democrat politicians, do in fact attempt to raise funds for the party they represent.”