Thread by @Steven_Swinford

Breaking

Bill Crothers, govt's former head of procurement, became an adviser to Greensill Capital while he was a civil servant

The Cabinet Office gave him permission to take on a 'part-time advisory role' in Sept 2015

He didn't leave civil service until Nov '15

Here's Crothers himself on the extraordinary combination of roles as civil servant & adviser to Greensill

'It was seen as a way of me transitioning back into the private sector and was
supported by the Cabinet Office leadership

'The advisory role was not seen as contentious'

Crothers argued that he did not need to apply to Acoba to clear his position at Greensill because the role was 'captured under the conflicts of interest policy' for the Cabinet Office

So massive questions for the Cabinet Office about who authorised this extraordinary arrangement

Lord Pickles, head of Acoba, sounds furious

He's asked Cabinet Office what process for approving Crothers' appointment at Greensill was & how many other people it applies to

It looks like there's an extraordinary loophole at the Cabinet Office:

* Crothers was able to work as both civil servant & adviser to Greensill under Cabinet Office's conflict of interest policy

* He & Cab Office argue this meant he didn't have to apply to Acoba for clearance

Crothers implies he is not alone among senior servants combining their official roles with acting as advisers for companies

'This advisory role was not seen as contentious, and I believe not uncommon'

How many of them are there?

The review into Greensill and Cameron will now look at Crother’s dual role as a civil servant and adviser to the company

It will also look at the cabinet office policy more broadly of allowing civil servants to work part time in advisory roles for companies

Boris Johnson is personally concerned by the issues raised in the Crothers letter about the dual employment of civil servants as advisers to companies