Investigating Labour's Lobbying Links: A Times Investigation

Undercover Investigation Setup

• 🕵️ Undercover work was initiated to expose potential cosy links between Labour and lobbyists, a challenging task given the subjects' media savviness.
• 💡 A fake company based in Ghana, aiming to introduce West African business people for UK investment, was created with a website, aliases, and fake business cards.
• 🌍 The setup was designed to be believable by leveraging a colleague with Ghanaian heritage to handle cultural nuances and ensure authenticity.

Initial Contact and Lobbying Offers

• 📧 An email was sent to Jerry McFall, director of the Labour Infrastructure Forum and Bradshaw Advisory, posing as a representative for a West African drinks industry client.
• 📞 McFall responded, suggesting that while the Labour Infrastructure Forum wasn't suitable for this client, his private lobbying company, Bradshaw Advisory, might be.
• 🗣️ He discussed the need for a strong business case and a 'hook' for policy work, while also name-dropping senior Labour figures and advisors, including James Murray and Jonathan Reynolds.

Promises, Discrepancies, and Fees

• 💰 McFall mentioned that his client, Holtech, had met with the Business Secretary at the Labour Party conference to discuss investment opportunities.
• ⚠️ However, ministerial records showed no disclosure of such a meeting, raising questions about transparency rules, especially for meetings held during party conferences.
• 📈 Bradshaw Advisory's average monthly fees were stated to be around £16,000-£17,000.

Shifting Stance and Disappearing Documents

• 🏨 During an in-person meeting, McFall became less forthcoming, stating it was inappropriate to name former clients or discuss fees, a stark contrast to his earlier openness on the phone.
• 📄 A version of a prospectus detailing sponsorship deals with key policymakers, initially found online, disappeared before the in-person meeting.
• ❓ McFall insisted the Labour Infrastructure Forum was separate from Bradshaw Advisory and that he was merely a member of the Labour Party.

Corporate Structures and Responses

• 🏢 Investigations revealed that the Labour Infrastructure Forum was incorporated and is owned by an offshoot company of Bradshaw Advisory, contradicting McFall's claims of separation.
• ⚖️ Bradshaw Advisory stated they comply with all laws and disclosure rules, noting that individual meetings don't always need to be registered under lobbying rules.
• 📰 The Labour Infrastructure Forum described itself as a think tank, committed to transparency, and stated it does not engage in lobbying, with sponsorship details to be in its next annual report.
• 🚫 The Labour Party stated it has no connection to the Labour Infrastructure Forum and does not endorse its activities.