Peer facing questions over Ghana goldmine

A member of the House of Lords asked a senior British diplomat to help a Ghanaian goldmining venture in which he held shares, claiming that it was "in the UK national interest".

- Rob Davies

The revelation will add to concerns about apparent breaches of parliamentary lobbying rules by Richard Dannatt, a former head of the British army. The peer is already under scrutiny over his lobbying for several companies, leading in two cases to investigations by the Lords' standards body.

Lord Dannatt, an unpaid senior adviser to Blue International, sought help from the high commissioner for Ghana in January 2024 on behalf of the company's Ghanaian subsidiary, Future Global Resources.

The latest disclosure raises new questions about whether the peer breached parliamentary rules by seeking diplomatic assistance for the investment firm, which is focused on west Africa. At the time, the company was facing financial difficulties at its Bogoso-Prestea mine and was at risk of losing the right to operate the mine, by far its largest asset. Documents disclosed under freedom of information legislation show that on 22 January 2024, Dannatt wrote to Harriet Thompson, then high commissioner for Ghana, seeking her help.

"Please excuse an unsolicited email, but I am writing to ask for some assistance on a commercial matter that, although beneficial for the company concerned, is in the UK national interest," he wrote.

Dannatt said Blue International, in which he held 10,461 shares, was "at a critical juncture" because it was planning a listing on the New York stock exchange. He said this would require support from the Ghanaian minister of land, which he believed was likely to be forthcoming. But he warned that the company faced "very serious opposition from other quarters".

Dannatt then asked to arrange a video conference call with Thompson "to seek your advice and input on their next steps".

The peer told the Guardian that he had "always sought to abide by the letter and the spirit of all rules and in regard to the matters under discussion believed that I was doing so".