A Tory former minister has been rapped by Westminster's lobbying watchdog after the Mirror revealed he apparently broke second jobs rules over a role with a drug company.
Ex-health minister Steve Brine made £200-an-hour giving 'strategic advice' to drug firm Sigma without first checking with the Advisory Body on Business Appointments (ACOBA).
And last February, Mr Brine arranged a meeting between Sigma and then-Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi.
Two months later, the firm was awarded a £100,000 government contract to supply Covid-19 tests to pharmacies.
Mr Brine claimed to have consulted revolving door watchdog about all of his outside jobs.
But an investigation by the Sunday Mirror discovered he had not consulted them over a £1,600 role giving "strategic advice" to Sigma pharmaceuticals until after he took the job - an apparent breach of the ministerial code.
But both the firm and Mr Brine deny he acted as a lobbyist, and insist he played no role in the deal.
But ACOBA chair Lord Pickles, said there was a "reasonable concern" that his contact with Mr Zahawi was "only made available to Sigma as a direct result of Mr Brine's time as a minister at the Department for Health and Social Care"
He added: "I do not consider it was in-keeping with the letter or the spirit of the government's rules for former ministers for a former minister at DHSC to contact a minister with responsibilities for health on behalf of a pharmaceutical company which pays him."
Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner said: "From the revolving door to crony contracts, the scandals just keep mounting for a Conservative Party mired in sleaze from the Prime Minister down.
"Even the government's in house committee is "increasingly concerned" about the behaviour of former Tory ministers and has called on them to act.
"Labour will ban ministers for at least five years after they leave office and create a genuinely independent watchdog to enforce the rules, ending the days that Tory politicians could profit from privileged access, information and taxpayers' money. Enough is enough."
In a letter to Cabinet Office minister Steve Brine about the case, Lord Pickles added: "I am growing increasingly concerned that not all former Ministers of the Crown are sufficiently clear on the various standards of behaviour, rules and legislation that are incumbent on them."
He added: "It is now a matter for you to decide what appropriate action to take."
Acoba has no power to impose punishments on ministers or former ministers who break the rules.
Former Ministers have to consult ACOBA before taking any job within two years of leaving government.
The Sunday Mirror revealed last month that Mr Brine had only contacted the body after he had started working for Sigma.
The Ministerial Code states: “Former Ministers must ensure that no new appointments are announced, or taken up, before the Committee has been able to provide its advice.”
And ACOBA’s guidance for former ministers states: “A retrospective application is one where an appointment or employment has been taken up or announced before the Committee has provided its full and final advice.
“This is a breach of the government’s Rules.”
There’s no suggestion of any wrongdoing on the part of Sigma.
Lord Pickles handed Mr Brine's case to the Cabinet Office to decide what - if any - punishment he should receive.
In a letter to Lord Pickles, Mr Brine said his failure to consult ACOBA before starting the job was an "error" and apologised for "poor admin on my part."
He admitted personally arranging for Mr Zahawi to attend the meeting with Sigma, but denied he was using his contacts to "influence Government policy or secure business" for the firm.
Mr Brine quietly quit the job with Sigma in November, after the Prime Minister vowed to ban MPs from "exploiting their positions" with consultancy jobs.
He has since resigned from two further consultancy jobs - each worth £16,000 a year.
