BBC News
image copyrightPA Media
Lobbying can be absolutely legitimate. It s part of how Westminster lives and breathes. Who would object to a small charity approaching its local MP to ask for help?
Who would complain about the pub industry pushing the government for answers about when they can serve pints again inside after the year we ve all had?
Who would begrudge health unions trying to persuade ministers that their staff members deserve a pay rise?
Who wouldn t see the logic of big business groups trying to make their arguments to decision makers at the top to help them thrive and prosper, when decisions made in SW1 affect millions of us, and billions of pounds?
BBC News
Published
media captionStarmer: Is it right to change tax rules for Dyson?
Boris Johnson said he made no apology for moving heaven and earth to get ventilators during the pandemic, amid a row over lobbying by Sir James Dyson.
In text messages seen by the BBC, the prime minister promised to fix tax changes the entrepreneur wanted.
Mr Johnson said any PM would have done the same in the circumstances, to secure ventilator supplies.
But Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said it was part of a pattern of government sleaze centred on the prime minister.
Trading verbal blows with Mr Johnson at Prime Minister s Questions, he claimed there was one rule for those who have the prime minister s phone number and another for everybody else .
Boris Johnson made “absolutely no apology at all” for text message exchanges about businessman Sir James Dyson’s concerns about the tax status of his employees, amid claims of “sleaze and cronyism” in his Government.
The Prime Minister personally promised Sir James he would “fix” an issue over the tax status of his workers after he was directly lobbied by the entrepreneur, who was seeking to build ventilators at the height of the coronavirus crisis.
Mr Johnson said he was “happy to share all the details” of the exchanges as there was “nothing to conceal”.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer suggested it was “one rule for those that have got the Prime Minister’s phone number, another for everybody else”.
Boris Johnson made “absolutely no apology at all” for text message exchanges about businessman Sir James Dyson’s concerns about the tax status of his employees, amid claims of “sleaze and cronyism” in his Government.
The Prime Minister personally promised Sir James he would “fix” an issue over the tax status of his workers after he was directly lobbied by the entrepreneur, who was seeking to build ventilators at the height of the coronavirus crisis.
Mr Johnson said he was “happy to share all the details” of the exchanges as there was “nothing to conceal”.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer suggested it was “one rule for those that have got the Prime Minister’s phone number, another for everybody else”.