Labour demands transparency over taxpayer-funded private car hire arrangement as Tory leader rejects security claims
Labour has called on Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch to come clean over her use of a privately hired car and driver while serving as a senior minister, amid reports that civil servants raised concerns over the security of the arrangement.
The Sunday Times revealed at the weekend that Mrs Badenoch, during her tenure as business secretary, routinely used a black Jaguar XJ and a personal driver from a hire firm based in her then-constituency of Saffron Walden. The firm was not part of the official Government Car Service (GCS), which typically provides transport for ministers and senior officials.
According to the report, officials repeatedly advised Badenoch against continuing the use of the private vehicle, citing potential security risks. Concerns included the fact that the car was not serviced or maintained by the government, and the possibility that it could be susceptible to surveillance or tampering.
Civil servants are said to have cautioned that the vehicle might be bugged and that its use was “not recommended” by government standards. Despite this, the contract remained in place, having been renewed under Badenoch’s authority.
The Tory leader, however, has strenuously denied any wrongdoing and dismissed suggestions that she ignored security advice. Speaking on BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, she insisted the driver had been cleared by the appropriate channels.
“I never ignored security advice – the driver was security cleared. Actually, recommended by GCS,” she told the programme. “It was a contract that had been in place for about five years, and I renewed that contract.
“A memo was sent by someone who was unfamiliar with the contract asking about security concerns, and other civil servants said there were no security concerns, and that’s the end of the matter,” she added.
Badenoch went on to describe the leak of the memo from within the civil service as “destructive” and dismissed the story as “nonsense”. She maintained that the arrangement had been fully above board and questioned the motives behind the reporting of the issue.
However, Labour has not accepted her explanation and says the Conservative leader must offer greater transparency over the circumstances surrounding the car hire. A spokesperson for the party said Badenoch’s use of taxpayer funds to employ a private chauffeur raised serious questions.
“Kemi Badenoch must explain why she hired a private chauffeur at taxpayers’ expense rather than relying on the Government Car Service like other ministers,” the spokesperson said. “The Tory leader cannot just dismiss the security concerns that were raised at the time, and hard-working families deserve to know how much this extravagant arrangement cost.”
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They went on to accuse Badenoch of being out of touch and lacking a clear plan for the country’s future. “Kemi Badenoch has no plan for our country. The Tories have not listened and have not learned from their defeat last year.”
The controversy comes at a sensitive time for the Conservative Party as it seeks to rebuild after its electoral losses and amid ongoing scrutiny of the standards and conduct of senior figures. Questions over ministerial use of public money have proved politically toxic in the past, and Labour will be keen to keep the pressure on the Tory leadership.
Badenoch, a rising star within the party and a potential future prime ministerial candidate, has until now cultivated a reputation for straight-talking and no-nonsense politics. But Labour’s challenge on the car hire issue may test her ability to deflect criticism without alienating voters seeking transparency and accountability.
As it stands, the Cabinet Office has not commented publicly on the specifics of the arrangement, and it remains unclear whether an internal investigation into the matter will be launched.
