Lord Richard Dannatt, a crossbench peer and former head of the British army, is under investigation by the House of Lords authorities for allegedly lobbying the government for financial support for a commercial deal he chaired in 2022. This marks the second time he has potentially broken parliamentary rules against lobbying for payment or financial incentive, though he claims he was not paid for the lobbying itself and received 'honorarium' payments for chairing the venture.
Ex-army chief Lord Dannatt lobbied ministers for millions to support commercial deal
Richard DannattHouse of LordsLobbyingBusinessPoliticsUK
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TL;DR: Key points with love ❤️Lord Richard Dannatt, a crossbench peer and former head of the British army, is under investigation by the House of Lords authorities for allegedly lobbying the government for financial support for a commercial deal he chaired in 2022. This marks the second time he has potentially broken parliamentary rules against lobbying for payment or financial incentive, though he claims he was not paid for the lobbying itself and received 'honorarium' payments for chairing the venture.
Trending- 1 June 10, 2022: Lord Dannatt emails a junior business minister for an introduction.
- 2 June 16, 2022: Lord Dannatt emails a senior official in the business department.
- 3 June 27, 2022: Lord Dannatt and Mark Law meet with Lee Rowley.
- 4 February 2023: Dannatt's involvement with the consortium ends.
- 5 March: House of Lords authorities begin investigation into Dannatt (separate allegations).
- 6 Last month: Harry Rich, registrar of consultant lobbyists, clears Dannatt of being paid to lobby.
- Lord Dannatt is under investigation by House of Lords authorities for potential breach of lobbying rules.
- The commercial deal he supported was unsuccessful.
- Raises questions about the regulation of commercial interests of members of the House of Lords.
- Public disclosure of Dannatt's communications with the government.
What: Lord Richard Dannatt, a crossbench peer and former head of the British army, lobbied UK government ministers and officials for financial support for a commercial deal he was chairing, potentially breaching House of Lords rules.
When: June 2022 (lobbying efforts); February 2023 (involvement with consortium ended); March (current investigation started); Last month (Registrar of consultant lobbyists cleared him).
Where: House of Lords (London); Cheshire (factory location); UK.
Why: Dannatt lobbied to secure government backing and funding (up to £10m loan) for a consortium aiming to buy a fertiliser factory in Cheshire from a US owner, which was facing closure. He stated his motivation was to save jobs and help the country, claiming it was in the 'national interest.' The government refused, deeming it a commercial matter.
How: Dannatt contacted a minister he knew for an introduction, emailed a civil servant to elevate discussions to ministerial level, and met with business minister Lee Rowley. He was the public face and 'chairman' of the 'embryonic' venture, adding credibility.