Kwasi Kwarteng was caught up in a hoax organised by campaign group Led By Donkeys in which he was approached about providing political advice to a bogus company it alleged existed in South Korea.
During the phoney interview with someone claiming to work for the company, the Conservative MP looked to “sell” himself by highlighting his experience serving “briefly” as chancellor and also as a business secretary and energy minister. Mr Kwarteng is heard telling the phoney outfit: “I would say (out of) my generation in the UK, there are very few people who have had the breadth of experience I’ve had across business and politics at this level.” (1)
Told by the fake employee they hoped to meet the former Conservative Party leader during a future visit to the UK, the Spelthorne MP said: “I’m sure you will. I mean, let’s talk. I’m sure we can try and arrange that. I’m not promising anything but he is someone I know. He’s a great guy.”
Mr Kwarteng indicated he would take on external consultancy work for the firm for a rate of £10,000 per day.
(1) While serving as chancellor to former prime minister Liz Truss, Mr Kwarteng sent the value of the pound tumbling and mortgage rates soaring with his September mini-budget’s unfunded tax cuts, which included plans to abolish the tax rate for Britain’s highest earners. Following the fallout, he was sacked by Ms Truss, lasting only 38 days in the job.
Greedy grasper … 
The sting by anti-Brexit group Led By Donkeys saw it create a company called Hanseong Consulting, including setting up a website which contained made-up testimonials and paying for a so-called “fake virtual office” in the South Korean capital Seoul. It then approached 20 MPs from across the political divide about serving on its non-existent international advisory board.
Five of those were said to have progressed to an online interview stage, including Matt Hancock and four Tories: Mr Kwarteng, former defence secretary Sir Gavin Williamson, former minister Stephen Hammond and Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 Committee, an influential backbench body.
More of the same …
