Parliament opens its doors to lobbying ex-MPs PDF Print E-mail

Sunday, 28 February 2010

Revealed in today’s Sunday Times are the ex-MPs working as commercial lobbyists who still have privileged access to Parliament.

The newspaper conservatively counts 25 ex-MPs who are currently working for lobbying firms, from a list of 200 former Members that hold House of Commons passes.

Thanks to a secret ruling by the former speaker, Michael Martin, most ex-MPs can now claim a parliamentary pass for life. This allows them access to Common’s facilities and the politicians who work there. That so many are working as lobbyists should come as no surprise: if a business wants to influence politics, who better to hire than an ex-MP who can work the tea rooms of Westminster on your behalf.

Although Commons rules forbid former MPs from using the pass to further their lobbying career, there are no safeguards to stop them from doing so.

With an unprecedented number of MPs standing down or set to lose their seats at the election, the amount of ex-MPs looking for lucrative lobbying work is likely to rise. Already Andrew MacKay MP – a former aide to Cameron – has signed up to work for lobbying giant Burson-Marsteller.

The list of names is the result of a two-year freedom of information battle between SpinWatch and the House of Commons. In the time it took the authorities to release the names, five of the ex-MPs on the list have died. Of the 200 names, over half are former Conservative Members.  

Download the complete list of ex-MPs with a parliamentary pass.


Among the ex-MPs who have privileged access to Parliament are the following lobbyists: former Labour members Ivan Henderson and Brian Wilson; and on the Conservative side, Jonathan Sayeed, Michael Brotherton, Sir Geoffrey Pattie and Nicholas Hawkins.

Other ex-Conservatives include:  Chris Butler of consultancy Butler Kelly, whose clients include Schering Plough and Saga; Patrick Nicholls who works for Foresight consulting, which lobbies for the New Party, and the Nuclear Industry Association; and Sir Richard Needham of consultancy Tetra Strategy, which counts among its clients AMEC, the Government of Dubai and the car lobby group, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.

The Conservative party at the moment is a great illustration of the revolving door between the influence industry and politics. As well as ex-Tory MPs working as commercial lobbyists, there are nearly 30 Conservative Parliamentary hopefuls employed by the industry, which if they win will provide yet more access. There are also a number of Tory peers who head up UK lobbying empires.

Just a fortnight ago, Cameron spoke about the urgent need to shine the light of transparency on lobbying: “It is the next big scandal waiting to happen,” he said. “It’s an issue that has tainted our politics for too long, an issue that exposes the far-too-cosy relationship between politics, government, business and money… We don’t know who is meeting whom. We don’t know whether any favours are being exchanged. We don’t know which outside interests are wielding unhealthy influence… I believe that secret corporate lobbying, like the expenses scandal, goes to the heart of why people are so fed up with politics. It arouses people’s worst fears and suspicions about how our political system works, with money buying power, power fishing for money and a cosy club at the top making decisions in their own interest.”

This weekend, the Conservative Party launched its election campaign at its Spring conference under the banner: 'Vote for Change'.

Yet, neither party has committed to introducing the one measure that will force lobbyists to operate in the open, namely a compulsory register of lobbyists. It was the key recommendation of a recent 18-month Parliamentary inquiry into lobbying by the Public Administration Select Committee (PASC). It also has the support of a third of all backbench MPs.

(The current system of voluntary disclosure operated by lobbyists themselves is utterly broken. It was described by Chair of the PASC, Tony Wright MP as “little better than the Emperor’s new clothes”).

Cameron said earlier this month that he believed that “lobbying in this country is getting out of control”. It won’t be easy to take a perk like Parliamentary access away from former MPs. But you can force those ex-MPs who are lobbying for private interests – and indeed all lobbyists in the £2bn industry – to come clean about who is lobbying whom, and about what.

 

The public must be allowed to scrutinise in whose interest politicians are acting – ours or those of commercial interests. Only with compulsory disclosure will we get real transparency in lobbying; and it’s only with transparency will we get improved government accountability.

 

To contact SpinWatch, call Tamasin Cave on 07973 424 015 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Next >