Chris Philp(Tory MP): "I call on the Leader to arrange a debate on ethics & integrity in government... can you imagine the howls of protest if the Tory government had done that."
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Shadow cabinet minister Chris Philp was met with ridicule by his parliamentary colleagues on Thursday as he tried to take a jab at cronyism claims facing the Labour government.
The former home office minister and current shadow Commons leader suggested there should be “a debate on ethics and integrity in government.”
That sparked a wave of laughter on the opposition benches, before Philp resumed: “The independent civil service commissioner, a former Labour MP, has had to initiate an inquiry into improper appointments from this government.”
Repurposing PM Keir Starmer’s pledge to serve the public, he added: “A government of service – it turns out they mean service to their cronies and their donors.”
Labour has faced intense scrutiny for its relationship with party donors in recent weeks.
Top donor Lord Alli was temporarily given a No.10 pass in the weeks following the election, a privilege usually restricted to civil servants or political advisers.
Ian Corfield – who gave £20,000 to the party before the general election – also secured a top Treasury job with the new government, sparking complaints of a “cash for jobs scandal”. He ended up giving that job up and taking on an unpaid role.
Emily Middleton and Jess Sargeant, who were part of the Labour Together group, also reportedly secured top roles in either the Cabinet Office or the civil service after the election.
Back in the Commons, Philp said: “It’s just wrong to stuff party donors and cronies into what are supposed to be impartial, civil service positions.”
But he then made the crucial mistake of saying: “Can you imagine the howls of protest if the previous government had done that?”
That sparked more howls of laughter all around the chamber.
The Tories were regularly slammed for appointing “cronies” to top positions, particularly at the height of the Covid pandemic when top contracts were awarded to many businesses connected to individuals in the then government.
And, according to a 2022 report from the Institute for Government, during Boris Johnson’s premiership, political affiliation played a great role with most senior jobs – including then-BBC chair Richard Sharp, who was a Tory donor.
Despite bashing the government’s apparent sleaze, Philp also used his time in the Commons to expressed his appreciation for Labour’s clarity around the upcoming recess dates – and, perhaps accidentally, seemed to allude to another problem with the former government.
Referring to the Commons leader Lucy Powell, he said: “She has just saved me from booking a flight that I would otherwise have to cancel, so I am personally very grateful to the leader, as well.”
Notably, ex-PM Rishi Sunak unexpectedly declared a snap general election to go ahead on July 4 after repeatedly hinting it would be much later in the year – leaving many, including his own ministers, panicking over their pre-planned summer holidays.
