Kwasi Kwarteng told a fake South Korean firm set up by campaign group Led by Donkeys that he might be able to set up a meeting with “great guy” Boris Johnson.
The former chancellor and ex-health secretary Matt Hancock were by both drawn in by the ruse and were caught on camera offering to work for the firm for thousands of pounds per day.
Mr Kwarteng told the fake company that he would be able to put them in touch with other MPs, and suggested he could arrange a potential meeting with the former prime minister Boris Johnson.
He said: “Let’s talk. I’m sure we could try and arrange that. I’m not promising anything, but he’s someone I know. He’s a great guy.”
Mr Kwarteng added that Mr Johnson – who is currently embroiled in the Partygate scandal – is the “best campaigner you will ever see”.
The former chancellor went on to suggest he could “work with” the firm’s offer of paying him between £8,000 and £12,000 for each of the six annual meetings of its non-existent international advisory board.
Mr Kwarteng added that the Tory whips would allow him to attend board meetings for a foreign company. Asked about attending board meetings, he said: “I could do that. I’m very flexible.”
He said: “We have whips … but I can work with them to make sure that – as long as the meetings aren’t like a whole week, I’m sure I can make that work.”
Asked if he could also attend one-off meetings, he said: “I should be. I think you seem extremely professional and I would be very interested to see what you had to offer in this regard.
“I have a broad experience of business and finance … I would say of my generation in the UK there are very few people who have had the breadth of experience that I’ve had across business and politics at the highest level, probably only two or three people.”
Mr Hancock, when asked whether he had a daily rate during an online “interview”, said: “I do, yes. It is 10,000 sterling.”
Led By Donkeys said it created a company called Hanseong Consulting, setting up a website which included made-up testimonials and paying for a so-called “fake virtual office” in the South Korean capital Seoul.
It said, after consulting the register of interests, that it approached 20 MPs from different parties asking if they would join the phoney firm’s international advisory board.
According to its preview video posted on social media, campaigners said 16 of the MPs contacted were Tory, two Labour, one a Liberal Democrat and the other an independent.
Five of those were said to have progressed to an online interview stage, including Mr Hancock, Mr Kwarteng, former defence secretary Sir Gavin Williamson, former minister Stephen Hammond and Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the Tories’ 1922 Committee.
There is no accusation of wrongdoing, with MPs permitted to seek employment outside of parliament, but Rishi Sunak faced calls to suspend those caught out by the sting.
Labour’s shadow culture secretary Lucy Powell called on Mr Sunak to suspend the Tory whip – saying there should be an investigation into any potential rule breaches “around the use of parliamentary offices to garner such income and such jobs”.
She told Times Radio: “When I see MPs, selling themselves in this way for their political advice and consultancy ... it absolutely sickens and angers me to be honest. Because I know that it reflects on all of us, not just those Conservative MPs.”
Cabinet minister Michael Gove said the Tories caught up in a sting operation had been operating “within the rules” – but said MPs should ask themselves if they are putting “public service” first.
The levelling-up secretary told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme: “Inevitably all of us will reflect on this and think the first duty of a member of parliament is towards their constituents.
“And ultimately, the really important thing is, is an MP delivering for their constituents, is a member of parliament doing everything they can to put public service first?”
A spokesperson for Mr Hancock said: “The accusation appears to be that Matt acted entirely properly and within the rules, which had just been unanimously adopted by parliament.
“It’s absurd to bring Mr Hancock into this story through the illegal publication of a private conversation. All the video shows is Matt acting completely properly.”
Sir Graham, who is stepping down as an MP after his term ends, said: “I made it clear any arrangement would have to be completely transparent and that, whilst a member of parliament, I would only act within the terms of the code of conduct.
“I also made it clear that while I could be flexible in attending international meetings in person, this would be subject to some important votes or commitments in Westminster.”
