Boris Johnson criticised after hard Brexit think tank given use of FCO room for free
2 min read
Boris Johnson has come under fire for allowing a hard Brexit think tank to hold its official launch in the Foreign Office for free.
The Foreign Secretary gave the green light for the Institute for Free Trade to stage an event in the ornate Map Room last September.
But documents released to Greenpeace under Freedom of Information laws showed he defied Sue Gray, the Cabinet Office head of ethics, who said the group should have been charged a commercial rate for renting the room.
In one email, a civil servant wrote: "Sue Gray is clear that IFT should pay the room fee, at full commercial rate … Can I ask you to liaise with them so that I can confirm to Sue that this is happening?"
But in another document, a Foreign Office official said: “It has been the established policy of the FCO under successive governments to allow a wide range of non-government organisations, including think tanks, to use their premises.
"Where the events supported the Government’s objectives, the FCO’s established practice allowed for a waiver of the room hire charge. The event was handled in line with that longstanding policy.
"The FCO considered whether to charge IFT a booking fee retrospectively. However, as the event was held in line with the longstanding FCO policy that applied at the time, it was decided it would not be appropriate to do so."
Other documents show Mr Johnson was happy to waive any fee for hiring out the venue.
The event was organised by pro-Brexit Tory MEP Daniel Hannan, and among those in attendance were Mr Johnson, Liam Fox and Michael Gove.
Labour MP Chuka Umunna said: "By bending over backwards to host the launch of Daniel Hannan’s think tank in September, the Government revealed how utterly desperate it is for ideas about how to deliver Brexit.
"As if Boris Johnson launching such an overtly political event on FCO premises was not bad enough, the fact they provided the room for free, contrary to government protocol, is frankly unacceptable. The ideologues running the IFT shouldn’t be given freebies by the Government."
A Foreign Office spokesperson said: "The Cabinet Secretary has made clear he does not believe the event or its organisation raises any issues with the ministerial code, the special advisers’ code or the civil service code."
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