November 15, 2020 · Issue No 10,236 · sundaytimes.co.uk £3 · onlyonly £2.50 to susubscribersbsc MICHELLE’S WHITE HOUSE LONELINESS 256 GIFT OBAMA IDEAS! EXCLUSIVE EXTRACT FROM HIS NEW BOOK MAGAZINE STYLE MILITARY TWO-STEP Supermarkets enjoy Lobbyists given BBC £1.9bn tax windfall Sam Chambers the business rates relief. “It’s now Retail Correspondent clear that supermarkets didn’t need this concession on business secret access to Supermarkets are under growing rates, yet they haven’t paid it back pressure to hand back almost and are, in effect, paying it out to £1.9bn after sparking outrage by shareholders,” said the Conser- rewarding shareholders with hun- vative MP Kevin Hollinrake. dreds of millions of pounds in pay- “Morally, if they wanted to pay outs at the same time as claiming a dividends, they should have Covid meetings huge government discount. offered to return the business rates The big four — Tesco, Sains- relief to the Treasury.” bury’s, Asda and Morrisons — and Sir Ed Davey, leader of the Lib- discounters Aldi and Lidl will col- eral Democrats, said the govern- W‘Chumocracy’ row at heart of government lectively save the huge sum thanks ment made a “huge mistake in the to the Treasury’s 12-month holiday design of the business rates holi- on business rates, according to the day”, adding: “It must have known coe-Watson’scoe-W appointment advisory firm Altus. that sectors without restrictions, INVESTIGATION waswa “incomprehensible”. The tax break was designed in such as food retail, would be THREE HeH said: “I think the haste in March to help high-street boosted when others in total lock- Gabriel Pogrund public interest requires stores with the corporate equiva- down would be hit. Whitehall Correspondent OF that appointments to lent of council tax. “These supermarkets really public office should go While many are struggling, need to look at themselves. Any One of Britain’s most influential THEM throught a public proc- supermarkets have been among extra cash should have been given lobbyists secretly served as an ess.”e the rare winners of the pandemic to their employees, many of whom adviser to a health minister for six IN THISIS The DHSC and Pascoe- as panic buying sent shoppers are low-paid, or to their millions of months — before sending sensitive WatsonWat declined to say flocking to their stores and the customers who have been strug- information on lockdown policy to whetherwhethe he signed a confidential- lockdown triggered a surge in gling during this pandemic.” paying clients. MARRIAGERIAGE ity agreement.agre A friend said his demand for their online services. The shadow business minster George Pascoe-Watson is chair- THE WEEK IT FELL APART role involved giving his thoughts This has allowed the three stock Lucy Powell said: “If the public is to man of Portland Communications, PAGES 6-7E X on the “media landscape”. market listed supermarket giants — have confidence in these meas- a lobbying firm that represents Another Portland consultant Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons ures, ministers must ensure tax- pharmaceutical companies, weap- and Tory peer, Lord O’Shaugh- — to declare dividends totalling payers’ money supports UK jobs.” ons manufacturers and banks. — which was unpaid — but he nessy, was paid by the government more than £1.3bn since the onset of In the latest lockdown in The Department of Health and remained until October 7. On Octo- for his work as an “external the pandemic. England, supermarkets have been Social Care (DHSC) appointed Pas- ber 15, he emailed clients revealing adviser” until August. O’Shaugh- Sainsbury’s delivered a blow to allowed to sell goods ranging from coe-Watson, 55, a former journal- he had been “privately advised” nessy, 44, took part in a phone call its workforce this month, saying it clothes to electricals, alongside ist, as an adviser during the pan- that restrictions in London with Bethell and Boston Consult- would close 420 of its Argos stores food. Most of their high-street demic’s first wave on April 9 launched that day would run to ing Group, a Portland client that and all of its in-store meat, fish and rivals have been forced to close. without announcing the move. spring 2021, adding: “Decision- has gone onto receive more than delicatessen counters, with the Tesco declared £950m of divi- He participated in daily strate- makers have told me personally.” £20m in government contracts. loss of 3,500 jobs. It also declared a dend payouts to shareholders this gic discussions chaired by Lord A fortnight later, Portland part- Portland has a number of £231m payout, almost exactly the year. It said last month that half- Bethell, a hereditary peer and ners wrote to clients informing former Tory advisers on its staff. It amount it has saved in tax relief. year sales rose 8.5% to £24.3bn, former lobbyist who serves as test them that Boris Johnson was con- is owned by Omnicom, a New York The supermarkets are under with operating profits up by 4.4% and trace minister, for six months. sidering a national lockdown — and media company with annual reve- growing pressure from across the to £1.2bn. In August the biggest Bethell, 53, was a surprise appoint- that he was likely to “announce nue of $15bn. Recent clients political spectrum to hand back Continued on page 2→ ment in March, having chaired next week that he is prepared to include Pfizer, Barclays and HSBC. Matt Hancock’s leadership cam- ‘sacrifice November to save The DHSC said: “We have drawn The television presenter and NEWMAN’S VIEW INDEX paign in 2019 and given a £5,000 December’”. The note came three on the expertise of a number of pri- former Royal Marine donation. Hancock, the health sec- days before details appeared in vate sector partners who provided JJ Chalmers and Amy Dowden Lottery News 2 retary, and Baroness Harding, the newspapers, prompting the PM to advice and expertise to assist in appearing on the BBC’s Weather News 35 head of test and trace, are under- order a leak inquiry. Whitehall vital work.” Pascoe-Watson said: “I Strictly Come Dancing last Letters News 30 stood to have joined calls includ- sources insist that Pascoe-Watson fully declared my role and respon- night. Prince Harry, left, a ing Pascoe-Watson and senior offi- had no advance warning of the sec- sibilities at Portland Communica- friend of Chalmers, recorded Sudoku News 34 cials about how to communicate ond lockdown, which was not dis- tions to the DHSC ... the informa- a message of support from his TV & Radio Culture 29 announcements and policy. cussed formally until after the tion shared with clients on October home in Los Angeles, but The disclosures will reignite the October 29 email had been sent. 15 and 29 was in no way connected royal sources said the duke’s row over “chumocracy”. Pascoe- Lord Feldman, a lobbyist and to the test and trace calls, in which decision was surprising given Watson is the latest person to have former chairman of the Conserva- I was no longer a participant.” the fallout over the BBC’s been given a role and access to tive Party, also advised Bethell O’Shaughnessy said his role had Panorama interview with his Whitehall without any public proc- between March and May. been approved by the DHSC and mother, Diana, Princess of ess or announcement. Sir Alistair Graham, former declared in his register of interests. Wales. Full story, page 5 Civil servants expressed con- chairman of the committee on y(7HA9F6*LNSTRN( |||+[!. cerns about Pascoe-Watson’s role standards in public life, said Pas- The chumocracy, pages 8-9 2 The Sunday Times November 15, 2020 NEWS Nine award nominations ... for the Press Gazette’s prestigious British Journalism awards PM fears revenge of sacked aides Our political editor, Tim Shipman, is shortlisted in the politics the Jennifer Arcuri scandal and SAS war Kenza and his new press secretary, Allegra l Overhaul Tory campaign headquar- category, Tony Allen-Mills and Andrew Gregory are jointly crimes received two nominations in the Bryan was Boris Johnson is taking Stratton. A leading Brexiteer claimed that ters so it can support the new intake of contesting the science journalism prize, Decca Aitkenhead is in the investigation category and was also nominated action to woo back Johnson has lost his focus and could not MPs, many of whom think they were running for interviewer of the year and Katie Glass made the final recognised in the anti-corruption and in the new make, or stick to, any decisions. They ignored while Cummings was at No 10 line-up for the features writing accolade. foreign sections. The team consists of journalist of fractious MPs tempted to said that a campaign to expose his short- l Hold more meetings with backbench- The Insight Team received an impressive four nominations. Its Jonathan Calvert, George Arbuthnott the year join a possible campaign comings could be launched soon. ers and visit the Commons tea room work on the government’s mishandling of the coronavirus crisis, and David Collins category The source said: “The long-term ques- more often to undermine him tion is: will the party do what it always l Send out senior aides, such as Stratton, does? Will it think it might lose an elec- to talk to Conservative MPs and listen to tion and flip and go for someone else like their concerns Today’s Tim Shipman Political Editor highlights Rishi Sunak?” l Set up taskforces on issues such as lev- MAGAZINE Boris Johnson is to launch a charm offen- Friends of Cummings hit back last elling up and the Union to ensure that sive aimed at Tory MPs this week in an night, with one saying: “It’s the end of MPs can feed into policy in key areas.