Tory MP in cash for access scandal as he begs company to tell him “what to ask about” in parliament

Former Tory minister George Freeman is facing cash for access claims after a company paid him £60,000 per year to effectively write his parliamentary questions.

George Freeman: cash for access

In April 2024, George Freeman started working as a paid advisor for GHGSat Limited. The firm uses sensors to monitor emissions and to help companies reduce their greenhouse gases. Of course, the government could address the issue of climate change at the fastest pace through rolling out a publicly owned Green New Deal, while reducing energy prices. You don’t need to measure emissions if you simply end climate-destroying practices across the board.

On 27 November 2024, Freeman emailed the company’s managing director:

following our latest catch up I’m preparing some written parliamentary questions to table on the DSIT [Department for Science and Technology] space data and Desnz [Department for Energy Security and Net Zero] emissions tracking platforms.
“So that I get the wording right can you email me the key technical terms / names of the projects / frameworks and what to ask about & I’ll then convert into the right parliamentary language.”

In response, the managing director, Dan Wicks, told Freeman to ask for insider information from the government related to the satellite data that GHFSat collects, questioning whether the government would continue to invest in:

the Earth observation Data Pilot run by the Geospatial Commission and whether that will be extended or grown into a pan-government purchasing mechanism

As the Times reported:

Freeman said that, while he did not believe he had done anything wrong, he was immediately referring himself to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, the watchdog responsible for policing MPs’ conduct.

Labour too

It’s not just Tories like George Freeman who face questions about cash for access.

An investigation found Labour peer David Evans offering undercover reporters posing as property developers access to housing minister Angela Rayner. Evans said:

It’s great being a Labour peer at the moment because we’ve got our mates who now have senior jobs, which is wonderful

And in October 2024, Labour offered corporate bosses the “unique opportunity to become a commercial partner at our business policy round-table over breakfast” for up to £30,000.

For £15,000, corporations would give a keynote speech, have photographs with business secretary Jonathan Reynolds and have a dedicated Labour Party staffer to make introductions. And for £30,000, the corporation could also decide who else would attend the breakfast.

Labour wheeled out Ed Miliband to defend the offer, who said: “Don’t do it again, is my message. The answer is – whether it is me or Jonathan Reynolds – it is not about paying to have access. That is not what we are about, no”.

And cash for access scandals go beyond this. At both the Labour and Conservative conferences, business executives could pay £3,000 for “networking opportunities” with ministers or shadow ministers. Big banks and oil companies were among the lobbyists and executives that attended Labour’s largest ever business event at its conference.

Donations: cash for influence

Donations are another way corporations can circumvent democracy. Since Keir Starmer became leader in 2020, Labour has accepted 11 donations of one million pounds or more from an individual or corporation. In turn, those 11 donations total a whopping £23.6m from just a handful of people.

Rachel Reeves and Labour have also received £44,000 in donations from FGS Global, a lobbying firm owned by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR). KKR also happens to be the NHS’ new landlord, set to make millions from NHS privatisation.

Transparency International (TI) has recommendations to curb the corrupting influence of big money in politics. The organisation suggests capping donations at £10,000 per year for individuals and organisations. This would keep big money out of politics. Indeed, it would’ve prevented Labour from receiving its largest donation ever this year – £4m from an offshore hedge fund with investments in fossil fuels, private health firms, and weapons manufacturers.

The corporate control of our democracy is unacceptable – whether it’s George Freeman, Labour, or anyone else allowing it to happen.

Featured image via the Canary