Lord Lister it seems resigned because he brokered the deal to sell the old Royal Mint site to the Chinese Gov, in his role as non exec director of the FCO, Johnson his then boss. At the time he was paid by two other parties connected to the sale.

Wait for it... https://twitter.com/ianbirrell/status/1386221936766750721

The property consultancy brokering the deal on behalf of the Chinese Gov

AND

Delancey, the property consultant acting for the owner, Tory donor vendor, Jamie Ritblat.

SURELY he must have known that was wrong, wrong wrong.

and greed.

According to @ianbirrell this story comes from the Sunday Times.

If anyone else has more on the story would they add it in?

SO
A person acting for the Gov Department - the FCO- as non exec director that appeared to have some sort of lien over the sale took money from
-people acting for the vendor AND
-also people acting for the purchaser.

That lien makes me wonder about the circumstances surrounding the sale to Jamie Ritblat.

Did he owe money to the Gov on the original purchase?

I wonder what underground tunnel networks there might be in the old Royal mint connecting to where? Now owned by the Chinese Gov?

Are there any security issues here?

It reminds me of the sale of the Kensington underground station to Firtash @Turloughc

The Ministry of defence had a lien on that one.

If anyone happens to be able to access the Land Registry for the plans (including underground tunnel networks & connectivity and also the terms of the original sale to Ritblat and any liens or covenants attached.

Timescales are of interest.

And terms of sale to the purchaser on behalf of the Chinese Gov, Delancey.

This very interesting article from 2013 references Jamie Ritblat’s father (also big into property) sharing tables bought by Shore Capital at a Tory Party fundraiser with the Camerons, Johnson sharing a table with exiled Russian banker Borodin, Shestakov (Putin’s judo partner)

Lots of other ver very very rich people there.

Theresa May was also at a Shore Capital table.

So it would be very interesting to know the timing of the sale of The old Royal Mint, the money involved, loans and how Ritblat came to be the prime contender for that sale.

Worth reading the article

I wonder if @lukeharding1968 and his co authors or the @TBIJ know more about that sale of the Old Royal Mint to Ritblat junior?
The terms, liens, property plans. And what about Delaney that acted for the Chinese Gov? https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/jul/01/-sp-tory-summer-party-drew-super-rich-supporters-with-total-wealth-of-11bn

£11bn wealth held between the 449 guests so the Old Royal Mint sale should have needed no help or loans from the taxpayer.

Wonder who the source of this information was leading to Lister’s resignation.

It was Lister who stepped into Cummings’ Chief of Staff rôle immediately after he left Downing Street.