Norfolk MP says Tory activists are now considered PEPs

Brandon Lewis, the MP for Great Yarmouth, made the assertion in a video shared on his social media channels where he said addressing the issue would be his number one priority if he could pass any law through parliament.

Mr Lewis has declined to expand on this issue and has not clarified if the volunteers he referred to were people who help out in his constituency, for example, canvassing and delivering leaflets, or if he is referring to some of the high-profile donors, including Russian oligarchs, who have bankrolled him in recent years.

The lack of clarity has led Labour opponents to criticise Mr Lewis, who they say has left himself "open to misunderstanding".

Brandon Lewis (Image: Archant © 2014)

The issue of PEPs rose to prominence earlier this year when former UKIP leader Nigel Farage said it was part of the reason why he was being denied bank accounts.

Financial institutions designate people as 'politically exposed' if they consider them to present a higher risk for them, as they are deemed to be more vulnerable to potential involvement in bribery and corruption by virtue of their position and the influence they may hold.

As a result, banks are required to do extra due diligence on certain individuals and it can make it harder for them to use banking services.

The revelations about Mr Farage's banking difficulties prompted outrage and saw the Treasury raise concerns with banks about people being 'de-banked'.

If Tory activists are struggling to access financial services, like mortgages, because of their political affiliations, it would reignite the row.

In his social media video - part of a series called 'In the Garden with Brandon' - Mr Lewis is asked if he could pass any Bill through parliament tomorrow what it would be.

“A particularly current thing would probably be reforming the PEP stuff," he said.

“That seems to be causing quite a lot of issues."

He added: "People who have been active volunteers for me in the past, now suddenly in the last couple of years finding they don’t not get a mortgage or insurance, but it’s just a lot harder. 

“They have to go through far more questions and issues, and I don’t think it was intended for that.” 

Mr Lewis was contacted about his claim but declined to speak.  

A spokesman said that any instances would involve private individuals and “it would not be appropriate to discuss their situations without permission". 

He also said the issue is likely to exist on a cross-party basis. 

Labour's Mike Smith-Clare (Image: Labour Party)

Mike Smith-Clare, Labour councillor for Yarmouth Nelson and Southtown, called on Mr Lewis to clarify whether he was talking about donors or activists.

He said: "It’s always worthwhile listening to the views of people, particularly when their opinions lead to positive legislative change.

"Unfortunately in this case the ideas appear unclear and open to misunderstanding.

"It would be nice to have some clarity regarding this - especially where assumptions could be made regarding the possibly unnecessary protection of donors, donations and their various reasons and sources."

Donations to Mr Lewis have raised eyebrows in the past, with him receiving almost £50,000 from Russian oligarchs between 2014 and 2022.

The money came from Lubov Chernukhin and Alexander Temerko, who are both now British citizens.  

Ms Cherukhin has Russian parents and Ukrainian-born Temerko lived and worked in Russia before fleeing the country in 2004. 

There is no suggestion of impropriety relating to the donations and it is not known whether either are classed as a ‘politically exposed people’. 

Mr Lewis’ video also reveals that he was talked into running for Great Yarmouth Borough Council, where he was a member before becoming an MP, because it would only involve work a “couple of hours every six weeks”.

He said he has since given the same advice to others. 

What else could Mr Lewis focus on?

Mr Lewis set out PEPs as one of his key concerns in the video. Here are some pressing issues in his constituency that he could try to address: 

Dentistry – Great Yarmouth, like much of Norfolk, suffers from a lack of dentists, with repeated calls for a new dentistry school in the area.

Coastal erosion – Large chunks of Norfolk, including in his constituency, are getting swept out to sea every year. 

Offshore wind – Norfolk wind projects have ground to a halt in recent months due to inflation pushing up costs.