The money is being paid to Quintessentially, a “luxury lifestyle” company – co-founded by Ben Elliot, an
Old Etonian friend of the prime minister – which charges well-heeled clients thousands of pounds to meet
powerful people.
Mr Elliot was appointed co-chair of the Conservative Party last summer and raised funds for Mr Johnson’s
election victory, before being picked as the government’s first “food waste tsar” in January.
Now the Financial Times has revealed that the Department for International Trade (DIT) has paid
Quintessentially £1.4m to enable civil servants and the super-rich to “network at the highest levels”.
It arranges “exceptional visits” in order for officials to convince them to invest in the UK, according to the
contract it has seen.
Jon Trickett MP, Labour’s Cabinet Office minister, said: “Everybody knows the Conservatives are a party of
the rich and powerful, for the rich and powerful, but these revelations further expose how they and their
allies see government as a chance to make easy money at the public’s expense.
“Handing over taxpayers’ money to a company run by the Tory party co-chair just so officials can meet the
‘great and good’ is a blindingly obvious conflict of interest and a shocking waste of money.
“The government must immediately stop paying for these services, and make a statement on why it thought
it was appropriate to pay this company for them in the first place.”
The Independent has asked both the Conservative Party and DIT to respond to criticism of the arrangement.
Downing Street declined to comment.
Mr Elliot is the prime minister’s tennis partner for a game recently auctioned off to the wife of an ally of
Vladimir Putin, to raise £90,000 for Conservative coffers.
Aged 44, he boasts powerful connections across British society. As the nephew of Camilla Parker-Bowles,
the Duchess of Cornwall, he has been photographed with her husband, Prince Charles, the future king.
When Michael Gove picked him to tackle food waste, Mr Elliot told the Evening Standard it was because “I
am such a relentless, bossy fucker that I will turbocharge the whole thing”.
He also acknowledged he had considered running as the Conservative candidate for the London seat of
Kensington, saying: “Yes, I’ve thought about it. The professional political class is not great.”
Mr Elliot also praised Extinction Rebellion as “marvellous”, saying: “It’s a wonderful thing. It’s moved the
debate on, making the penny drop on green issues.”