Politics Explained: Leaked documents show David Cameron has valuable contacts but little influence

Many fondly, or not, imagined that David Cameron has had his trotters up in the south of France or chillaxing in one of his £25,000 “shepherd’s huts” since he bungled the Brexit referendum. However, the recent publication of correspondence and texts between the ex-premier and the Treasury and Bank of England represent a sobering corrective.

Cameron was on his smartphone more than an Instagram-addicted representative of Gen Z, but with, alas, much less to show for it. The documents released reveal a man with potentially valuable contacts, but precious little influence, and less power.

The main reason therefore why this scandal hasn’t “broken through” is that Cameron failed to extract any official money for his client Greensill Capital. Zilch. Lex Greensill might well have wondered whether Cameron offered value for money, though even that is now moot, given that the shadow bank is busted.

The Bank of England cache is a useful reminder of how crucial it is that a central bank retains its independence from the political classes and owes a wider allegiance to the public and, formally, the crown. Britain is still not the kind of corrupt country where the premier can come round and help himself to the gold reserves.

The second lesson is more subtle. If Boris Johnson was now closer mates with his old friend from Eton and the Bullingdon Club, the man he now calls “Dave”, then there might have been more effort to resist the Freedom of Information request. Such sensitive FOIs as the Greensill correspondence are reportedly vetted by Michael Gove, himself no longer close to his old patron.

Since 2016, in other words, the “Notting Hill set” has disintegrated and with it whatever use Cameron once had. But others, current cronies of the Johnson administration can have better luck.

With about a half a dozen official inquiries, extensive media probing and such limited openness, and the fact that Cameron got nowhere suggests that the system’s checks and balances is working, to an extent. Even so, the whistleblowing leaker of the texts and emails also deserves respect from the public for doing their duty. Some say it was Dominic Cummings; if so then there is much more from where that came from.