THE SNP have called for a full investigation into cronyism at Westminster in the wake of the news that former prime minister David Cameron directly lobbied Chancellor Rishi Sunak to give emergency Covid funds to a company he held shares in, despite that company being ineligible.

Cameron, who advised and held shares in financial services provider Greensill before it filed for bankruptcy this year, reportedly sent multiple texts to Sunak’s private number asking for hundreds of thousands of pounds of emergency Covid loans for the doomed firm.

Cameron aimed to gain Greensill access to the cheap, 100% government-backed loans through the Covid corporate financing facility (CCFF). However, as a money lender, Greensill was not classified as a “non-financial firm”, and so was not eligible for the funds.

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When they were told this by Treasury officials, Greensill claimed that “concerns about their eligibility for the CCFF were misplaced or could be addressed”, according to reports in the Financial Times.

In an effort to circumvent these officials, Cameron reportedly texted Sunak directly on multiple occasions.

The SNP say this shows that top London politicos believe “all it takes to get government cash is a quick text from one Tory to another”.

The party has now joined Labour in calling for a full investigation into the situation.

The SNP’s shadow chancellor, Alison Thewliss MP, said the news of Cameron lobbying Sunak was “just the latest in a long list of examples laying bare the extent of Tory cronyism”.

Thewliss said: “It speaks volumes that a former Tory prime minister thinks it’s acceptable to drop a text to the current Tory Chancellor for back-door access to vital Covid schemes. The whole situation must be investigated fully and without delay.

“This Tory government has set the standard so that others think all it takes to get government cash is a quick text from one Tory to another. This is just the latest in a long list of examples laying bare the extent of Tory cronyism at Whitehall and Westminster.

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"Despite the efforts of the SNP to stamp out this kind of nepotism, it is clear that Westminster is broken beyond repair. The best future for Scotland is to build a fairer society as an independent country.”

Labour’s shadow chancellor, Anneliese Dodds, said: “Rishi Sunak already had questions to answer as to why Greensill was given so much more access to the Treasury than other Covid lenders.

“The suggestion that David Cameron was also contacting the Chancellor directly to further Greensill’s commercial interests raises even bigger concerns.

“This is public money, and the processes involved in decision-making should be fully transparent and beyond reproach. We need a full and thorough investigation into what’s happened here.”

The Treasury declined to comment on the calls for an inquiry.