Andy Burnham's appointment of James Purnell, a former cabinet minister and most recently chief executive of Flint Global, as his chief of staff has sparked unease within the Labour Party over lobbying links. Flint Global, a registered lobbyist, counted BP, Amazon, Jaguar Land Rover, and Uber among its clients, according to transparency records.
Purnell gives up shares and severs ties with Flint
It is understood Purnell has given up his shares, will no longer have a connection to the firm, and has no access to Flint emails or systems with immediate effect. A Burnham team spokesperson said: “James has left Flint. He will have no ongoing financial interest in the company of any kind.” They added that any future conflicts of interest would be appropriately managed.
Flint Global's opaque structure and client list
Flint Global does not publish a list of clients in the UK, but its entries on the EU transparency register from last year include Google, Microsoft, and mining firm Glencore. Apple appeared to be its biggest client in Europe, paying more than €1m in the last year for which data is available. The company is majority owned by private equity firm Cinven, with a holding company based in Jersey, making its structure opaque.
Concerns from Labour left and Greens
One Burnham-supporting MP on the left described the appointment as a “very bad sign that he is not thinking things through enough.” Another senior adviser said: “I am deeply worried about this… I am worried this does not look like change and it will lead to the same scandals that have hamstrung Keir.” Zack Polanski, the Green party leader in England and Wales, questioned why the Labour government appeared “so keen on bringing in corporate lobbyists into the heart of Downing Street,” calling for a full list of Flint Global’s clients to be published.
Some Labour figures welcome the appointment
However, others in Labour have welcomed Purnell’s appointment as a sign that Burnham will not turn away from business and intends to oversee a broad coalition within the party. A Flint spokesperson said Purnell had resigned and had “recused himself from all client activity and has no ongoing financial interest in the company of any kind.” In a message to staff, Purnell said: “I am still finalising details with the Flint board but the story is basically correct and I am likely to be leaving shortly… Flint is a wonderful organisation and culture.”
