In April 2021 the Government under FOI released two texts from then Chancellor Rishi Sunak to former Tory PM Dave Cameron.
Cameron was attempting to lobby Sunak for COVID grant money for the now collapsed Greensill finance company who he was then working for.
The texts from Cameron to Sunak remain private.
Sunak promised to try and ring Cameron when he had finished meetings and in a second text said he was pushing officials to find a way to provide funds. Ultimately the senior officials did not.
It reflected what is now known as a ‘chumocracy’ William Cobbett’s world of placemen and sinecures before the 1832 Reform Act that he called The Thing, a sort of many headed hydra of power & money. Cameron did PPE at Brasenose College Oxford and some years later Sunak did PPE at Lincoln College Oxford. The two colleges are adjacent.
Sunak went to Winchester whereas Cameron was at Eton but there is an assumption of favours and special treatment here based on class background. Ultimately it didn’t work out and we can thank not the Tory politicians but the professional diligence of civil servants for that.
In Mr Sunak’s reply to a text from Mr Cameron on 3 April 2020, the chancellor said: “Hi David, thanks for your message. I am stuck back to back on calls but will try you later this evening and if gets too late, first thing tomorrow. Best, Rishi.”
In the second reply on 23 April, Mr Sunak said: “Hi David, apologies for the delay. I think the proposals in the end did require a change to the Market Notice but I have pushed the team to explore an alternative with the Bank that might work.
“No guarantees, but the Bank are currently looking at it and Charles should be in touch. Best, Rishi.”
Source: BBC News
This is part of British political history but it raises the question how with messaging services, much of this history is going unrecorded
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