A tory mp this time... A former Foreign Office minister is being paid up to £1,300 an hour by a mining company in Africa on whose behalf he lobbied while in Government. Henry Bellingham, the Conservative MP for North West Norfolk, was appointed the non-executive chairman of Pathfinder Minerals 18 months after losing the post of Minister for Africa in the 2012 reshuffle. Pathfinder is locked in a dispute with a Mozambique Army general over ownership of highly lucrative mining licences. Mr Bellingham told the external appointments watchdog that, while in the Foreign Office, he had written to the Government of Mozambique supporting the Pathfinder claim. And since taking up the post in February, Mr Bellingham has received £28,000 from Pathfinder Minerals, at a rate of up to £1,300 an hour, according to Parliamentary records. Related Articles He has registered payments approximately once a month of £4,000 for between three and seven hours’ work, giving advice on strategy and corporate governance. The most recent payment was registered on September 29. There is no suggestion of wrongdoing, and all the work has been declared in line with Parliamentary rules. However, Mr Bellingham’s appointment will re-ignite concerns of a revolving door between Whitehall and the private sector, with ministers benefiting from contacts they made in office.
Posted on: Sun, 16 Nov 2014 12:29:16 +0000
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