Robert Jenrick’s position as Housing Secretary has weekend over the weekend as the scandal surrounding his approval of tycoon Richard Desmond’s redevelopment of the Westferry Printworks in the East End of London has re-ignited.
Every major national newspaper ran stories revealing more details of the ongoing ‘cash for favours’ revelations which Jenrick has vehemently denied, claiming the process was all ‘above board’.
But it now transpires that Jenrick was shown a promotional film of the development by Desmond when they attended a fundraising dinner together last year, challenging the official line that Jenrick did not discuss the development with Desmond in ‘any way’.
“I took that decision in good faith, with an open mind, and I am confident all the rules were followed in doing so,” he said in parliament last week.
Printworks
In early January this year Jenrick gave Desmond the green light to develop the Westferry Printworks in East London into 1,500 apartments despite problems with local planners.
But the decision was revoked after it was discovered that two weeks after the decision Desmond had made a £12,000 donation to Conservative Party funds.
The timing of the decision has also raised eyebrows. Jenrick rubber-stamped the application just a day before Tower Hamlets raised its community infrastructure levy, saving Desmond over £40 million, and accepted a lower level of affordable housing within the £1 billion development, saving him another £106 million.
Since then the decision has been put on ice after Jenrick accepted that his decision was unlawful, appeared to show bias, and should be determined again by a different minister.
Read more about Robert Jenrick’s other gaffes.
The post Housing secretary’s grip on power weakens as ‘cash for favours’ scandal intensifies appeared first on The Negotiator.