MP refers himself to commissioner over 'cash for questions' claims

A Conservative MP has referred himself to the standards commissioner after it was claimed a company that he worked for helped him write questions to government.

George Freeman asked the director at environmental monitoring company GHGSat "what to ask about" when submitting questions about the sector the firm operates in, the Sunday Times reported.

Freeman was previously advised by a government committee not to lobby the government on behalf of the firm due to his previous role as science minister.

The Mid Norfolk MP said in a statement to the BBC that he doesn't believe he did anything wrong, while his party said it would be "inappropriate" to comment while inquiries were ongoing.

The Sunday Times reported that Freeman asked the company's director what to ask about as he prepared written parliamentary questions to Labour ministers related to space data and emissions tracking.

In another email, he allegedly asked if the company could help him "get the wording right", which he could then "convert into parliamentary language".

Freeman served as science minister under both Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak, and now sits on the science, innovation and technology committee.

He took up the advisor role at GHGSat in April 2024, with the MP's register of interests stating he received a monthly salary of £5,000 for eight hours work per month, before leaving the role in March this year.

After he notified appointments watchdog Acoba about the role, it advised him there were "risks associated with your influence and network of contacts gained whilst in ministerial office".

The watchdog said the company "is interested in government policy and decisions relating to the civil space sector and emissions".

It said Freeman "should not become personally involved in lobbying the UK government" on behalf of GHGSat, and that "you noted you have made it clear to the company that you will not lobby government on its behalf, and this will not form part of your role".

Freeman told the BBC that through his roles in Westminster he would "regularly ask experts for clarification on technical points and terminology", and said he was "very concerned at the targeted and unauthorised and access to my emails" which he said he had raised with police.

"Throughout my 15 years in parliament [and government] I have always understood the need to be transparent in the work I have done for and with commercial clients and charities and am always willing to answer any criticism," he said.

"I don't believe I have done anything wrong but I am immediately referring myself to the parliamentary commissioner for standards and will accept his judgment in due course."

The Liberal Democrats and Labour have called for Tory leader Kemi Badenoch to suspend Freeman while he is under investigation.

Helen Whately, the Tory shadow work and pensions secretary, was asked on the Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme whether Freeman should lose the Tory whip, to which she said she was "shocked" by the allegations in the Times' report.

But she added she "can't comment any more while the parliamentary commissioner is looking into it".