Government to publish results of Whitehall second jobs probe but refuses to say when

Inquiry follows Greensill lobbying affair

The results of an official investigation into the second jobs of senior civil servants, triggered by the Greensill lobbying scandal, will be made public, No 10 has confirmed.

Downing Street would not be drawn on when the findings would be released, however.

They will be given to an investigation into the Greensill affair ordered by Boris Johnson earlier this week and led by top lawyer Nigel Boardman.

Whitehall departments have been given until today to come clean about any moonlighting by officials or other potential conflicts of interest.

The disclosures were ordered after it emerged that a former head of government procurement was working for Greensill Capital while still a civil servant.

Since then a second case has come to light.

David Brierwood combined a role as a crown representative in the Cabinet Office with being a director at Greensill for three and a half years.

Asked about the second jobs probe, No 10 said: “The results will be made available to Nigel Boardman as part of his review and they will be made public”.

But Mr Johnson’s official spokesman declined to be drawn on when the findings might be published. Mr Boardman has been given three months to carry out his inquiry and report back to the prime minister. But as his review gets underway the growing scandal threatens to engulf Mr Johnson’s government. Whitehall’s spending watchdog has become the latest body to announce its own investigation into Greensill Capital. It will look at its involvement in the government Covid support scheme.

In a statement, the National Audit Office also said it would look at any post-accreditation monitoring of the activities of the firm, which filed for insolvency last month.

Amid accusations the Boardman review would effectively see the government “mark its own homework” at least three cross-party parliamentary committees have also announced that they will examine lobbying, Greensill Capital and the ramifications for the civil service.