Police will not investigate Lords
By politics.co.uk staff
The Metropolitan police have confirmed they will not be investigating allegations made in the Sunday Times about members of the House of Lords accepting money to amend legislation.
According to the newspaper, four Labour peers were prepared to accept payments of around £120,000 in order to push through amendments to bills in the Lords.
In a statement released today, the police said: “The application of the criminal law to members of the House of Lords in the circumstances that have arisen here is far from clear.”
Scotland Yard said that these factors along with their preliminary investigation led them to not consider an investigation.
Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Chris Huhne said: “I can understand the difficulties facing the police given the unreformed and unclear state of the law on bribery, which is subject to recent reform proposals from the Law Commission.
“”However, this is a disappointing decision. There is a clear legal precedent, established by Mr Justice Buckley in 1992, for the prosecution of a member of parliament for the common law offence of bribery in the case against Harry Greenway MP.
“Members of parliament, including members of the Lords, should not be above the law. It should apply equally to all of us.”
Accepting financial rewards in exchange for exercising parliamentary influence contravenes the House of Lords code of conduct and Baroness Royall of Blaisdon, the Labour leader in the Lords, has said she is “deeply concerned” by the claims.
The newspaper’s undercover reporters posed as lobbyists working for a foreign businessman who wanted an amendment to the business rates supplements bill.
Former energy minister Lord Truscott admitted to “discussions” with one of the reporters but adamantly told the BBC that “”to suggest I would offer to put down amendments for money is a lie”.
Lord Taylor of Blackburn told the Press Association he was approached by two purported lobbyists offering him a monthly fee of between £5,000 and £10,000 to work “behind the scenes” on amendments to the bill.
“It was their suggestion, not my suggestion,” he stressed. “I never said I would accept it.”
And former defence minister Lord Moonie said that while he did discuss a £30,000 fee with the reporters, “nobody in their right mind would offer direct help in making an amendment”.
The paper also contacted former Labour whip Lord Snape, who reportedly indicated he would accept a fee of £24,000 for his help.
Lady Royall commented: “High standards of ethics and probity are central to the work and members of the House of Lords.
“The House has a high reputation and I expect members to abide by its high standards.”
