Liz Truss’s chief of employees is being paid through non-public lobbying agency

Liz Truss’s chief of employees is being paid a wage by a third-party consultancy, the Cupboard Workplace confirmed on Sunday, in a extremely uncommon association for a authorities particular adviser.

Mark Fullbrook, who joined Downing Road this month because the UK prime minister’s most senior aide, is being paid through a non-public lobbying firm as an alternative of instantly by the federal government.

Particular advisers are sometimes employed as momentary civil servants, albeit with out the restrictions on political neutrality which are required for many officers.

Fullbrook, as an alternative, will probably be contracted by Fullbrook Methods, a non-public firm that he based in April — a call first reported by the Sunday Occasions. The corporate has suspended its industrial actions whereas he’s working in authorities.

One senior Whitehall official described Fullbrook’s association as “very uncommon”, including: “I’ve by no means heard of a particular adviser being employed by a non-public firm.”

One other authorities insider recommended that Fullbrook’s association could also be as a result of momentary nature of his employment. “Most individuals expect Mark to depart after the primary couple of months — he’s agreed to see by the primary section of the Truss authorities,” the official stated. “That’s why, I anticipate, he’s not on employees.”

The Cupboard Workplace stated it was “common for a particular adviser or civil servant to affix authorities on secondment”, including that “any authorities worker employed on secondment is topic to the standard particular adviser or civil service codes”.

It confirmed that Fullbrook’s association had been cleared by the propriety and ethics group inside the Cupboard Workplace that oversees all particular adviser appointments. “The federal government pays the wage of an worker on secondment, together with prices resembling employer’s Nationwide Insurance coverage contributions to the seconding firm.”

Nonetheless, Alex Thomas, a programme director on the Institute for Authorities think-tank, stated it was “very uncommon” and there was “no equal, particularly at such a senior degree” for an aide to be employed as a contractor.

“Secondments occur fairly a bit in Whitehall, and the federal government typically makes use of contractors,” he stated. “However for a everlasting particular adviser to be paid this manner is with out precedent.”

As a longstanding political strategist, Fullbrook has suggested Conservative leaders since Margaret Thatcher. The 60-year-old led Truss’s management marketing campaign and has overseen the transition into authorities.

Final week, it was revealed that Fullbrook was co-operating with US authorities as a part of an investigation into Julio Herrera Velutini, a Conservative celebration donor charged over allegations that he illegally supplied marketing campaign donations to a former governor of Puerto Rico.

Velutini has pleaded not responsible to the fees. A spokesperson for Fullbrook stated he complied with all legal guidelines and laws in all jurisdictions and was assured he had performed so on this matter.

Angela Rayner, the deputy Labour chief, stated: “The surprising revelation that the prime minister’s chief of employees is on mortgage from a lobbying firm, not truly employed by the federal government, raises severe questions concerning the new prime minister’s judgment.

She added: “The truth that this bombshell comes days after alarming stories that Mr Fullbrook can also be embroiled in a international bribery probe involving the FBI will solely add to public concern.

“Whereas Liz Truss exhibits all of the indicators of permitting one other wave of Tory sleaze to fester, a Labour authorities would create an Unbiased Ethics and Integrity Fee to wash up public life and restore the fundamental requirements we anticipate.”