Government accused of ‘cover-up’ over Cameron’s financial interests declaration
The Liberal Democrats said the Foreign Secretary should reveal a ‘full list’ of his financial interests ‘if he has nothing to hide’.
The Conservative Government has been accused of a “cover-up” after transparency documents showed only that Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron holds financial interests in a “blind trust”.
The “blind management arrangement” was mentioned in an updated list of ministers’ interests published on Thursday.
It is the same arrangement deployed by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to list his own financial interests in the register.
The Liberal Democrats said Lord Cameron should reveal a “full list” of his financial interests “if he has nothing to hide”.
Compiled by Sir Laurie Magnus, the independent adviser on ministers’ interests, Lord Cameron is also listed as being a “prospective beneficiary of a family trust with no oversight”.
Lord Cameron has to declare his interests after returning to frontline politics and being made a member of the House of Lords last month, seven years after quitting as prime minister following the result of the Brexit referendum.
He became Foreign Secretary in Mr Sunak’s reshuffle after James Cleverly was given the job of Home Secretary following the sacking of Suella Braverman.
The list of ministerial interests states that the Conservative peer “resigned from all previous remunerated roles and a number of unremunerated roles” upon his appointment to the Foreign Office on November 13.
It states that all roles undertaken since his departure from high office in 2016 have been declared to Sir Philip Barton, permanent secretary of the Foreign Office, and Sir Laurie.
Wendy Chamberlain, chief whip for the Lib Dems, said: “This is yet another Conservative cover-up.
“The public deserves to know the full list of Cameron’s clients and any potential conflict of interest.
“Rishi Sunak’s promise to govern with integrity and accountability has been left in tatters. Once again it’s one rule for Conservative ministers and another for everyone else.
“The full list of David Cameron’s financial interests when he took the role needs to be published immediately. If he has nothing to hide, he has nothing to fear.”
