By Aditi Khanna
London, Apr 21 (PTI) UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday hit back at Opposition allegations of “sleaze” within government ranks after a text message exchange between him and vacuum cleaning giant founder James Dyson came to light.
During the weekly Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) in the House of Commons, Johnson was asked about text messages seen by the BBC in which the UK Prime Minister promised Sir James Dyson that he would "fix" tax changes in return for the supply of ventilators for the National Health Service (NHS) required at the peak of the coronavirus pandemic.
The texts were sent in March 2020 to the Singapore-based engineering firm boss, who reportedly sought assurances that his staff members would not have to pay extra taxes if they came to Britain to work on the project.
“I make absolutely no apology at all for shifting heaven and earth and doing everything I possibly could, as I think any Prime Minister would in those circumstances, to secure ventilators for the people of this country," Johnson told the members of parliament.
He also expressed his willingness to share “all the details” of the messages with Parliament. But the Opposition Labour Party dubbed the revelations as “jaw-dropping” and something that was emerging as a “pattern” for the government, amid recent allegations around lobbying of ministers.
"Every day there are new allegations about this Conservative government: dodgy PPE (personal protection equipment) deals; tax breaks for their mates; the health secretary owns shares in a company delivering NHS services. Sleaze, sleaze, sleaze, and it's all on his watch,” said Labour leader Keir Starmer.
In the text exchanges covered by the BBC, Johnson messaged Dyson saying: "(UK Chancellor) Rishi (Sunak) says it is fixed!! We need you here."
When the businessman sought further reassurance for the tax status of the firm and "senior individuals", Johnson replied: "I am First Lord of the Treasury and you can take it that we are backing you to do what you need."
Dyson, a donor to the ruling Conservative Party, did invest in work to create ventilators but they didn't go into full production in the end.
"When the Prime Minister rang me to ask Dyson to urgently build ventilators, of course, I said yes,” the business chief told the BBC.
He said: "Our ventilator cost Dyson 20 million pounds, freely given to the national cause, and it is absurd to suggest that the urgent correspondence was anything other than seeking compliance with rules, as 450 Dyson people – in UK and Singapore – worked around the clock, seven days a week to build potentially life-saving equipment at a time of dire need.
"Mercifully, they were not required as medical understanding of the virus evolved. Neither Weybourne (Dyson's holding company) nor Dyson received any benefit from the project; indeed commercial projects were delayed, and Dyson voluntarily covered the 20 million pounds of development costs."
The latest revelations follow weeks of wrangles over the alleged breach of lobbying rules, with the Parliament's influential Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee launching an investigation into the extent of former UK Prime Minister David Cameron lobbying on behalf of collapsed bank Greensill Capital.
The row had already led to Boris Johnson announcing an independent investigation into the entire affair, with the Opposition demanding that the probe into lobbying rules must go much further. PTI AK RS RS