The anti-corruption unit from a popular BBC drama is needed to root out “sleaze and cronyism” in Boris Johnson’s government, according to the UK opposition leader Keir Starmer.
The Labour leader called for Ted Hastings and AC-12 from Line Of Duty to get involved as he accused the British prime minister of “blocking a proper inquiry” into the Greensill Capital lobbying controversy.
He also suggested Mr Johnson had resorted to using the “shoplifters’ defence” of “everyone else is nicking stuff so why can’t I?” in a bid to defend his Government’s actions.
Mr Johnson repeatedly highlighted an “independent” review of the Greensill affair had been set up and insisted “tougher” laws on lobbying had been put in place.
Questions have continued to emerge over Greensill’s links with the UK government, in light of lobbying for the financial firm by former UK prime minister David Cameron.
Speaking in parliament, Mr Starmer said: “Dodgy contracts, privileged access, jobs for their mates, this is the return of Tory sleaze.
“It’s now so ingrained in this Conservative government, we don’t need another Conservative party appointee marking their own homework.
“The more I listen to the prime minister, the more I think Ted Hastings and AC-12 is needed to get to the bottom of this one.
“We know the prime minister will not act against sleaze, but this House can.”
He pressed MPs to back Labour’s motion for a parliamentary inquiry in a bid to start to “clean up the sleaze and cronyism that’s at the heart of this Conservative Government”.
Mr Johnson again highlighted the independent review before adding: “We’re getting on with rooting out bent coppers.
“We’re also appointing and hiring thousands more police officers and fighting crime on the streets of our cities while they oppose the police and crime Bill.”
The scandal surrounding David Cameron centres on text messages he sent to the UK's finance minister as part of an unsuccessful attempt to acquire government support for specialist bank Greensill, which has since collapsed, and how he organised for England's health secretary, Matt Hancock, to attend a “private drink” with his employer, Lex Greensill, regarding a health service matter.
It comes as a photo of Mr Cameron and Mr Greensill during a business trip to Saudi Arabia in January last year was released, a visit which saw the pair meet Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
