Menu
Subscribe to Holyrood updates

Newsletter sign-up

Subscribe

Follow us

Scotland’s fortnightly political & current affairs magazine

Subscribe

Subscribe to Holyrood
by Chris Marshall and John Johnston
21 April 2021
SNP call for public inquiry into Boris Johnson's dealings with James Dyson

SNP call for public inquiry into Boris Johnson's dealings with James Dyson

The SNP have called for a public inquiry after it emerged Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he would "fix" tax changes amid lobbying from Sir James Dyson. 

The BBC reported it had seen text messages showing the Prime Minister had given Dyson assurances as he attempted to secure more ventilators at the start of the pandemic last year. 

During exchanges at Prime Minister's Questions, Johnson refused to apologise for promising Dyson that his employees would not pay extra tax if they made ventilators in the UK.

The billionaire businessman had called for support from the Treasury to change the rules, but approached Johnson on a personal phone number after he failed to get a response from chancellor Rishi Sunak.

Johnson responded to Dyson: "I will fix it tomo! We need you. It looks fantastic."

When Dyson asked for further assurances from the PM over the tax situation, Johnson replied: "James, I am first lord of the Treasury and you can take it that we are backing you to do what you need."

Labour leader Keir Starmer laid into Johnson over the arrangement at PMQs, asking if it was "one rule for those who have the Prime Minister's phone number and one rule for everyone else?".

But Johnson stood by his exhange with Dyson, saying he made "absolutely no apology at all for shifting heaven and earth", saying it was necessary to ensure an adequate supply of ventilators at that point in the coronavirus pandemic.

News of Dyson's lobbying comes after it emerged former Prime Minister David Cameron had lobbied the government on behalf of Greensill Capital. 

 Ian Blackford, the SNP leader at Westminster, said: "The revelations surrounding the Prime Minister's interference in COVID contracts are incredibly serious. Whether it's 'cash for questions' in the 90's or 'texts for contracts' during this pandemic, people know this is the same old pattern. This is how the Tories do government.

"The Prime Minister is at the very heart of this scandal. He had all the time in the world to fix contracts for a cosy club of friends and Tory donors but didn't have any time to support the millions of self-employed. Those three million people didn't have a David Cameron or a James Dyson to text the Prime Minister for them. They were on their own and they were left behind.  

"This Tory ‘texts for contracts’ scandal is growing more and more serious with every revelation. The Prime Minister was eager to initiate an inquiry into his predecessor David Cameron, he should be as quick to commit to a public and comprehensive inquiry into himself and his own government."

Read more at https://www.politicshome.com/


 

Holyrood Newsletters

Holyrood provides comprehensive coverage of Scottish politics, offering award-winning reporting and analysis: Subscribe

Get award-winning journalism delivered straight to your inbox

Get award-winning journalism delivered straight to your inbox

Subscribe

Popular reads
Back to top