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Lynton Crosby had no influence on cigarette plan, Hunt insists Nick Clegg says Lynton Crosby has no influence on government policy
(about 1 hour later)
Conservative Party election strategist Lynton Crosby had no influence on the decision to delay the introduction of plain cigarette packets in England and Wales, the health secretary has said. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has insisted Tory election strategist Lynton Crosby has no influence on government policy.
Jeremy Hunt told the BBC ministers do not allow Mr Crosby to advise them on public health issues as his lobbying company works with tobacco firms. Mr Clegg told BBC Radio 5 Live: "I have never met the guy. I don't know what he looks like. I wouldn't recognise him if I passed him in the street."
His comments come as MPs are set to discuss a new lobbying bill. Mr Crosby is accused by Labour of influencing the decision to shelve a ban on branding on cigarette packets.
Labour says advisers' business interests should be more transparent. The lobbyist lists among his clients the tobacco giant Philip Morris.
Speaking on the BBC's Newsnight programme on Tuesday, Mr Hunt said: "Lynton Crosby's work is for the Conservative Party. He hasn't lobbied me and he hasn't lobbied the prime minister on issues to do with public health and there is a clear dividing line. Asked if Mr Crosby had influenced the decision to delay the introduction of plain packaging for cigarettes in England and Wales, Mr Clegg said the decision was taken by the health secretary on the basis that the evidence to support the policy was still inconclusive.
"He is completely irrelevant to the discussions within the coalition government," said Mr Clegg, adding that Mr Crosby has "no role in government policy - he is an employee of the Conservative Party".
'Transparency'
The government announced this week it was putting a decision on plain packaging on hold to study the results of a similar policy in Australia, where plain packets were introduced in December last year in an effort to cut smoking.
Labour seized on the apparent U-turn as evidence of the influence of Mr Crosby, who was drafted in earlier this year to sharpen up the Conservatives' campaigning ahead of the next general election.
The Australian spin doctor had previously overseen Boris Johnson's victory in last year's London mayoral contest and his public affairs firm has been working with tobacco giant Philip Morris in the UK since November.
Senior ministers have been lining up to deny Mr Crosby had any influence on policy discussions.
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: "Lynton Crosby's work is for the Conservative Party. He hasn't lobbied me and he hasn't lobbied the prime minister on issues to do with public health and there is a clear dividing line.
"There is also transparency. We are not hiding this fact.""There is also transparency. We are not hiding this fact."
Mr Hunt agreed that public health was a "whole area he [Mr Crosby] is not allowed to touch". Scandals
He added: "It is quite right he shouldn't because his company has clients in that area." Tory MP and former GP Sarah Wollaston has accused Mr Crosby of persuading David Cameron to sacrifice potentially controversial public health policies such as plain packaging and minimum alcohol pricing for electoral reasons.
Mr Crosby's public affairs firm has been working with tobacco giant Philip Morris in the UK since November and Labour have questioned whether he influenced the decision to postpone the plans to bring in plain packaging. Shadow public health minister Dianne Abbott has conceded, in a BBC interview, that Mr Crosby is unlikely to have had a direct influence on health policy, but has suggested there is a conflict of interest between his role with the Conservative Party and his firm's work for the tobacco industry.
'Emphatic denial' It comes as MPs begin a fresh attempt to clean-up the lobbying industry in the wake of a string of cash-for-influence scandals.
BBC political correspondent Iain Watson said Mr Hunt's comments represent the most emphatic denial yet of the accusation that Mr Crosby had influenced policy. The government's lobbying bill is expected to create a register of lobbying agencies, who sometimes employ former MPs to influence government decision-making on behalf of corporate clients.
Mr Crosby has been seen as the driving force behind the prime minister's portrayal of Labour leader Ed Miliband as a weak leader and Labour has been keen to draw blood, our correspondent added. The firms would have to publish a full list of their clients, although some campaigners say this will have a limited effect as it only include "third party" lobbyists, rather than companies, charities and trade unions themselves.
The government says that before proceeding with its plans, it wants to see more evidence from Australia, where plain packets were introduced in December last year in an effort to cut smoking. On Tuesday, the House of Commons authorities withdrew around 50 parliamentary passes linked to staff employed by all-party parliamentary groups in response to concerns about political lobbying.
Earlier this week Mr Miliband said Mr Crosby's links to the tobacco industry were as "clear a conflict of interest as you could possibly imagine". Two shadow ministers have written to the cabinet secretary to ask whether Mr Crosby has had any influence on UK tobacco policy.
Downing Street, however, said last week that Mr Crosby had "no involvement" in the decision to postpone the plans. Mr Cameron also insisted he had been "unaware" of Australian-born Mr Crosby's role as a consultant to Philip Morris.
The government's lobbying bill is expected to create a register of third-party lobbyists and compel them to publish a full list of their clients.
In the run-up to the 2010 election, Mr Cameron suggested lobbying was "the next big scandal waiting to happen" and a promise to introduce reforms was included in the coalition agreement.
Restrictions on trade union funding, Labour's main source of cash, are also set to be included in the bill. Mr Miliband last week set out proposals to end the automatic affiliation of members of some unions to the party.