“It is the next big scandal waiting to happen,” was how David Cameron described lobbying in 2010 when he was leader of the opposition. “It’s an issue that crosses party lines and has tainted our politics for too long, an issue that exposes the far-too-cosy relationship between politics, government, business and money.”
Mr Cameron has been proved right, although not in the way he would have wanted. Ironically, 11 years on, his actions as prime minister and lobbying activities since leaving office are under the spotlight, and an unflattering picture emerges.
As The Independent revealed on Sunday, questions are being asked about the value for money provided by his flagship project, National Citizen Service, which has received £1.3bn from the public purse since 2011 and soaks up 90 per cent of the government’s youth budget.
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