Government minister accused of breaking ministerial code over Teesworks donation

Last month Middlesbrough MP Andy McDonald said that there had been “industrial-scale corruption” at the Teesside freeport, operated by public-private company Teesworks Ltd, after it emerged that private investors had bought land on the site worth £100m for only £100.

Teesworks Ltd was initially divided 50/50 between the public South Tees Development Corporation and private companies, however those private companies now own 90% of the venture despite an apparent lack of investment from themselves.

In response to a letter from McDonald which raised those concerns, Dehenna Davison MP - the under-secretary at the Department for Levelling Up - wrote that “we have seen no evidence of corruption, wrongdoing, or illegality.”

After publishing her letter, it came to light that Davison had received a political donation of £2,500 in November 2019 from Ian Waller. Waller is a director and shareholder of Northern Land Management, a company that has a 25% stake in Teesworks Ltd.

Although there is no suggestion that Ms Davison is guilty of wrongdoing for accepting the donation, which was declared at the time, Mr McDonald asked if she had broken the ministerial code today (23rd May).

McDonald’s asked if she should have recused herself from the matter due to a part of the code which says that “Ministers must ensure that no conflict arises, or could reasonably be perceived to arise, between their public duties and their private interests, financial or otherwise.”

Mr McDonald also wrote to Cabinet Secretary Simon Case, asking whether or not he’ll investigate the issue.

Speaking to The Yorkshire Post, McDonald said: “Given it had been reported that Dehenna Davison had received four figure donation from one of the Teesworks shareholders, I was shocked but perhaps not surprised that she, as a Levelling Up minister, wrote to me to say ‘nothing to see here’ and the usual denials.

“The Prime Minister boasts about integrity, professionalism and accountability but they are just hollow words. In no way does the behaviour of the minister comply with any of that or any sense of complying with the basic principles of good governance and transparency.

“They just do what they like. This government is totally out of control.”

A DLUHC spokesperson said: “Minister Davison received a donation of £2,500 from Ian Waller in November 2019, well before she became a government minister in 2022.

“In line with Parliament's Code of Conduct for MPs, this was declared at the time and appears in the relevant register of MPs’ financial interests.”