Inside Politics: Labour warns of David Cameron inquiry ‘cover up’

The opposition is cynical about how far the lobbying scandal investigation will go, writes Adam Forrest

David Cameron speaking during the Cheltenham Literature Festival at Cheltenham Racecourse in 2019 (PA)

Have you seen the new campaign video for Alex Salmond’s Alba party? It’s a cracker. An actor from Braveheart says Scots need to recapture the spirit of Robert the Bruce – only just stopping short of shouting “Freeeedom!” by the end. Ironically, it’s the English who are crying freedom at the moment – rushing onto the high streets after the grand reopening of shops, pub gardens and hairdressers. Westminster, meanwhile, is gripped by the possibility that precious freedoms could be taken away from ministers looking to make a bob or two after their time in office. Just how far will the probe into David Cameron’s lobbying efforts push?

Inside the bubble

Political commentator Andrew Grice on what to look out for today:

Government advisers will be setting out more details on the next phase of the vaccine rollout, after No 10 revealed all the over-50s have now been offered a first dose. Meanwhile Labour will mount a fresh attempt to press ministers over David Cameron’s lobbying activities with an urgent question in the Commons at 12.30pm.

Daily briefing

GREEN GREEN LONG GRASS OF HOME? So there will be an inquiry into the David Cameron-Greensill lobbying scandal. But the investigation has already been dismissed as a way to kick the controversy “into the long grass” and keep the matter in-house. Eyebrows were raised over the “independent” head of the probe – leading lawyer Nigel Boardman – who is an adviser to the business department and son of a Tory cabinet minister. The inquiry will not have legal powers to secure evidence. It’s still unclear whether it will look into any ministerial code breaches or be able to recommend changes to lobbying rules. Labour said it smelled like a “cover up” and an “attempt to push bad behaviour into the long grass”. The opposition will attempt to drag Rishi Sunak to the Commons today to answer questions about the whole business. Former Labour PM Gordon Brown said ex-leaders shouldn’t lobby government for commercial purposes. He suggested those leaving No 10 should face a five-year ban, at least.

FLEXIBLE FRIENDS? Fresh Brexit developments to report. UK and EU officials are thought to have launched a series of talks which could – possibly – result in a new joint document aimed at a more flexible implementation of the Northern Ireland protocol. Officials have told RTE News that technical talks have been progressing “positively” and may be gifted some political momentum by discussions between David Frost and his EU counterpart Maros Sefcovic “as early as this week”.  An agreement could still take several weeks to finalise, however. Can the parties in Northern Ireland wait that long? Meanwhile, the Brexit trade deal has seen 41 per cent of British exporters hit by a sales slump, according to a new survey. The British Chambers of Commerce said No 10 should talk to Brussels chiefs about lowering barriers to trade. Could those protocol talks involve a veterinary deal to ease food exporters’ red tape woes?

OH MY GIDDY BANTS! It was hard for MPs to top Prince Harry’s tribute to the Duke of Edinburgh – describing his grandfather as the “legend of banter”. But our politicians tried their best to keep the banter going during the marathon, seven-hour tribute session. Boris Johnson took the unusual step of mentioning some of Philip’s many gaffes, defending them as his way of “trying to break the ice, to get things moving, to get people laughing”. There was a fair amount of projection going on. Iain Duncan Smith said Philip found the constant “bellyaching” of the social media generation “appalling” (it just so happens IDS hates the social media generation too). In Scotland, the Tory leader at Holyrood Ruth Davidson remembered the time the Queen’s husband asked former party leader Annabel Goldie if she had a pair of tartan knickers. It was left to Patrick Harvie, co-leader of the Scottish Greens, to strike a serious and rather sour note – criticising the duke’s love of “bloodsports”. Harvie said his death reminded us that “there is no extreme of wealth, privilege or status that can protect us from mortality”.

LIBERAL LION SLEEPS TONIGHT: There’s been an outpouring of effusive tributes to the Lib Dem peer Shirley Williams, who died at the age of 90. Party leader Ed Davey said news of her death was “heartbreaking” – describing the former minister as “an inspiration to millions, a Liberal lion and a true trailblazer”. He added: “I feel privileged to have known her, listened to her and worked with her.” Commons’ speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle said Williams – one of the ‘Gang of Four’ ex-Labour politicians who became founders of the breakaway Social Democratic Party – had left her mark on history. “Without doubt, she was one of a kind, and a character we all shall miss.” Incidentally, Williams’ fellow peers in the Lords were able to claim a £162 attendance allowance for making a remote tribute to Philip via video call. Not everyone seems to think there is much more to say about Philip. Nearly 111,000 people have contacted the BBC to complain about the blanket coverage.

THEY WILL NEVER TAKE OUR MEDIEVAL GRUDGES! Alex Salmond has been slammed for the “blood and soil” nationalism of the new Alba party campaign ad. The video – described as “embarrassing” and “cringe” by advocates of independence – features Angus MacFadyen, the actor who played Robert the Bruce in Braveheart, speaking about breaking “the spine of English superiority”. Macfadyen tells the story of how Scotland’s “sma [small) folk” turned the tide at Bannockburn – just as the sma folk will win the day once again in 2021. SNP MP Pete Wishart tweeted: “Geez! We’re trying to win our independence through presenting ourselves as a progressive, modern and outward looking nation. But let’s take up the rusty claymores and shout ‘freeeedom’. Embarrassing.” Tory candidate Branden Davy said: “I see Alba really laying into the hatred of England and harking back to *checks notes* 707 years ago.” Pamela Nash, chief executive of the Scotland in Union campaign group, said “the nationalist mask has slipped”.

MOVING ON DOWN: Time for the 40-somethings to get excited. All over-50s in the UK have now been offered a first dose of a Covid vaccine, paving the way for the next phase of the rollout. Boris Johnson hailed it as a “hugely significant milestone”. It comes as the first Moderna vaccines are delivered to NHS sites in England for use from today. In more worrying news, a “significant” cluster of the South African variant has been found in two parts of south London. Wandsworth and Lambeth will now see surge testing after 44 confirmed case (and 30 probable cases) were discovered. Meanwhile, an update to the NHS contact tracing app used in England and Wales has been blocked for violating an agreement with Apple and Google. The tech firms will not allow the app to ask users to upload venue check-ins, done via barcode scans, if they test positive for Covid. A sign of problems to come with vaccine passports?

On the record

“Former ministers, prime ministers, must never be lobbying for commercial purposes … It simply brings public service into disrepute.”

Gordon Brown wants things to change.

From the Twitterati

“The PM defended the late duke’s offensive comments and said “the world did not hold it against him … I find it interesting that ‘the world’ is clearly not meant in reference to the many people of colour who have been deeply upset by Prince Philip’s remarks.”

The Independent’s Nadine White on the PM’s tribute…

“This feels like projection by Johnson. A little light ice-breaking racism never hurt anybody.”

…while Samuel West finds the tribute very revealing.

Essential reading

John Rentoul, The Independent: Just how bad are the opinion polls for Keir Starmer?

Tom Peck, The Independent: If Philip had lived to hear the tributes, he might have died laughing

Stephen Bush, New Statesman: Why the David Cameron lobbying scandal isn’t over

Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic: What the US vaccination programme proves to the world

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