Lord Strathclyde leads the Conservatives in the Upper House.
The allegations of Labour peers discussing what fees they might charge for promoting changes in legislation are shocking. The rules of the Lords are explicit. Peers “must never accept any financial inducement as an incentive or reward for exercising parliamentary influence”. And they “must not vote on any bill or motion, or ask any question…or promote any matter in return for payment or any other material benefit.”
How on earth could experienced former MPs and Ministers, like Lord Taylor and Lord Truscott, boast they had changed the law for fee-paying clients? I find the idea incredible. Would anyone really demand such eye-watering fees to whet their appetite to use behind the scenes influence to ‘bend’ the rules? It is vital we establish the facts.
The House of Lords is proud of its high reputation for integrity. Like any other body over the decades it has had those who have let the House and public down. But day in day out peers, who are unpaid except for expenses and without the army of research assistants and secretaries that throng the corridors of the Commons, work hard to improve draft bills and safeguard the public from bad law.
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