Tory leader’s comments follows reports she refused a vehicle from the official government car service (GCS) and instead given access to a private driver
Kemi Badenoch has denied ignoring security advice over a taxpayer-funded private driver she used to ferry her around as a Cabinet minister.
It follows reports the Tory leader refused a vehicle from the official government car service (GCS), which offers a fleet of cars to senior ministers.
Instead during her time at the top of government she was given access to a Jaguar and driver from a private firm based in her constituency. It was reported she entered into the arrangement days after being appointed Trade Secretary in September 2022 and after rowing with a GCS worker.
The Sunday Times alleged she blamed the driver for being 21 minutes late to her first Cabinet meeting and also argued it was not “fair” for her driver, who lived in Kent, to make a two-hour journey from her house in London. It was also said she was repeatedly advised to stop using the Jaguar over security fears including the risk of the car being bugged.
It was also reported Oliver Dowden, the Deputy PM, circulated a memo to the Cabinet at the start of 2025, saying: “Private hire cars do not provide a secure working environment to conduct sensitive conversations.” He added: “Where it is possible to use the GCS service, this is advisable.”
Asked why she ignored security advice, Ms Badenoch dismissed the report as a “nonsense story”, telling the BBC on Sunday: “I never ignored security advice. The driver was security cleared, actually recommended by GCS [Government Car Service]. 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. That’s the end of the matter.” She added: “What is destructive is that someone leaks a memo without seeing the full picture.”
But a Labour Party spokesman said: “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 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.” The Conservative Party has been contacted for comment.
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