Richard Desmond hired a PR firm co-owned by Ben Elliot, the co-chairman of the Conservative Party, to help change gambling rules in his favour, a revelation that will deepen concerns over his access to senior ministers. Mr Desmond claimed Boris Johnson had agreed to raise the jackpot limit on his commercial lottery at a No 10 reception for business leaders in September. It can be revealed that his company, Northern & Shell, hired Hawthorn Advisors in January when Mr Elliot was a director of the PR and lobbying firm. It has also emerged that Priti Patel, the home secretary, lobbied for the relaxation of lottery rules telling MPs that Mr Desmond’s Health Lottery was an “astonishing vehicle for bringing direct support” to grassroots charities, while

Source: The Times June 28, 2020 23:15 UTC