Lobbying firm accused of paying journalists for hidden favourable coverage
Undercover recordings capture lobbyists offering payments to freelance reporters to suppress client origins, sparking renewed calls for transparency in the public affairs sector.
An investigation by The Guardian has uncovered allegations that CT Group, a prominent lobbying firm co-founded by former electoral strategist Lynton Crosby, offered financial incentives to journalists in exchange for favourable coverage of its clients. Undercover recordings obtained by the publication show CT employees proposing cash payments to a freelance reporter to write stories supporting property industry interests and Live-In Guardians, while suggesting the arrangement remain concealed from newspaper editors.
Gavin Stollar, head of CT’s real estate division and a Liberal Democrat activist awarded an OBE in 2024, initially approached the journalist regarding the Building Safety Regulator and the housing shortage. Stollar proposed that CT Group would provide research and case studies, while the journalist would be paid by both the newspaper and the lobbying firm. Other CT staffers later expanded the proposal to include work for Live-In Guardians, offering £100 per published story or £500 for chairing a roundtable, with one staffer noting that editors would likely reject transparent disclosure of CT’s commission.
The recordings reveal explicit discussions about avoiding the appearance of advertorials while ensuring journalists kept the client’s messaging in mind. One lobbyist stated, “We don’t have to pay you, and you just go off and do how you normally do. Or, we can pay you, but we get more control over it.” When the undercover reporter expressed discomfort at being paid without the newspaper’s knowledge, a CT manager acknowledged that disclosing the commission would likely result in the pitch being rejected, suggesting the journalist pitch the story as their own work.
CT Group has strongly denied the allegations, stating that the events were “deliberately mischaracterised” and that it did not engage the undercover journalist or make any payments. In a statement, the firm claimed the reporter had “chased us relentlessly” over six months and asserted that it never asks journalists to behave contrary to professional and ethical standards. The company, which has a £40m annual turnover and clients including Airbus Defence and Space and the owner of Manchester City football club, maintains that its code of conduct prioritises ethical behaviour.
The revelations emerge amid heightened scrutiny of the lobbying industry in the UK. The Ethics and Integrity Commission has demanded new transparency laws following a review ordered by Sir Keir Starmer, a move highlighted by concerns over former cabinet minister Peter Mandelson’s dual role as an owner of Global Counsel while serving as British ambassador to Washington. The investigation, which spanned more than four months, has prompted calls for stricter adherence to editorial codes, such as The Guardian’s requirement to report any attempts to induce favourable treatment through gifts or favours.