Downing St fury at boast of influence over PM

Register of lobbyists back on agenda after secret filming claims to show Bell Pottinger offering political influence

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What's happened? Senior employees of the PR and lobbying company Bell Pottinger have been filmed claiming to have access to the very heart of British government in a sting by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (BIJ), published by The Independent today. Managing Director Tim Collins (above) is seen describing the firm's supposed influence on Cabinet ministers, even claiming he got Prime Minister David Cameron to talk to the Chinese government on behalf of a client. Undercover reporters who posed as representatives of the Uzbekistan government were told the country's reputation could be "laundered" to conceal human rights abuses.

What does it mean?

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Kieron Monks is a freelance journalist currently working for TheWeek.co.uk. He is associate editor of This Week in Palestine.