Tory former energy secretary facing conflict of interest claim over JCB owner links
by Shanti Das from on (#6S3NJ)
Shadow cabinet secretary Claire Coutinho accepted donation from Lord Bamford while overseeing millions awarded to his family businesses in green grants
A Conservative former cabinet minister who took donations from the billionaire boss of the JCB digger dynasty - including a 7,000 trip on his VIP private helicopter - oversaw decisions to award his family's business empire millions in taxpayer-funded green energy grants.
Claire Coutinho also posed for pictures promoting Lord Bamford's personal 100m hydrogen engine project and accepted a 7,500 donation from JCB to her local election campaign while she was the energy secretary in Rishi Sunak's government.
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