Ministerial Appointments: Vetting and Managing Conflicts of Interest Debate

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Department: Cabinet Office

Ministerial Appointments: Vetting and Managing Conflicts of Interest

Stella Creasy Excerpts
Monday 23rd January 2023

(1 year, 10 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Jeremy Quin Portrait Jeremy Quin
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I have a great deal of respect for the right hon. Gentleman, but he knows that I do not know the answer to that question—I genuinely do not. But I have no doubt that the work of the independent adviser will establish the facts and that that will be reported to the Prime Minister.

Stella Creasy Portrait Stella Creasy (Walthamstow) (Lab/Co-op)
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The challenge here for the Minister is that the original allegations arose in July of last year, publicly. Indeed, there was subsequent evidence that lawyers were instructed to try to suppress those allegations, well before any appointment was made by his political party, or indeed by the Prime Minister. The Minister talks about allegations arising this weekend. Whose due diligence was lacking: was it the Cabinet Office’s, was it the Conservative office’s, or are we just not being told the whole truth in this matter?