A former Conservative cabinet minister who chairs the government’s own lobbying watchdog has been accused of a potential conflict of interest for failing to publicly declare his ongoing involvement in a Tory business lobbying forum.
Eric Pickles, who heads up the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACOBA), did not mention his presidency of the Enterprise Forum in a written submission to a parliamentary committee or in his CV, before becoming chair of the watchdog last year.
The Enterprise Forum, which boasts of its access to government ministers, aims “to improve the quality and flow of information between the business community and the Conservative Party”. Lord Pickles has been the Forum’s president since 2017.
