Four Labour Members of Parliament, namely Stephen Byers, Patricia Hewitt, Geoff Hoon, and Margaret Moran, who are all planning to retire at the next election, were caught on a secret recording. They were talking with an undercover journalist pretending to be a company executive interested in hiring MPs for lobbying purposes.
In the recording, Mr. Byers, a former trade and transport secretary, is accused of comparing himself to a taxi for hire, willing to work for up to £5,000 a day. This echoes a statement made by Mohamed al-Fayed 16 years ago, suggesting that MPs could be hired similar to hiring a taxi in London.
Allegations Against Former Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt
The Dispatches and Sunday Times investigation alleges that Miss Hewitt, a former health secretary, claimed she was paid £3,000 a day to help a client obtain a key seat on a Government advisory group. Mr. Hoon, the former defense secretary, offered to lead delegations to ministers and said he was looking to turn his knowledge and contacts into “something that frankly makes money”, adding he charged £3,000 a day.
Miss Moran, the disgraced Luton MP who was forced to pay back £22,500 in expenses, boasted she could telephone a “girls’ gang” of colleagues to help clients, including Jacqui Smith, the former home secretary, Hazel Blears, the former communities’ secretary, and Harriet Harman, the deputy leader of the Labour party.
Allegations of Influence Peddling: Labour MPs Embroiled in Scandal
The journalist talked to a total of 13 Labour MPs and seven Conservatives. Mr. Byers reportedly claimed that he made a secret agreement with Lord Adonis, who is now the transport secretary. This deal was supposedly on behalf of National Express, a company wanting to end its unprofitable East Coast rail service without facing financial consequences.
In the investigation, Mr. Byers allegedly mentioned, “We made a deal with Andrew (Adonis)… he would criticize National Express publicly” as long as certain terms that benefited the company were agreed upon.
Mr. Byers also said that his clients would gain an advantage from his close friendship with Lord Mandelson, who was the business secretary at the time.
It is said that he once called Lord Mandelson to halt “extremely bureaucratic” food labeling rules after Tesco reached out to him. However, Tesco has denied this. Lord Adonis and National Express have both rejected the claims. Lord Mandelson stated that he doesn’t remember discussing the matter with Mr. Byers.
Miss Hewitt explained that she was offering to help only after leaving Parliament. She mentioned, “I’m always ready to provide advice to companies that have good things to offer our country.” A lawyer representing Mr. Hoon stated that his remarks were not accurately presented.
Miss Moran clarified, “The meeting was about talking about possibilities for the future – I wasn’t seeking employment… This meeting marked the start of my efforts to start over.” After these claims came out, Mr. Byers released a statement saying he had “overstated” his statements, and that he had taken them back the day after the meeting in an email.
David Cameron Calls for Investigation into Cash for Influence Scandal
Ex-Cabinet members Stephen Byers, Patricia Hewitt, and Geoff Hoon were part of a group of MPs secretly recorded by journalists pretending to be lobbyists. Mr. Byers, a former transport secretary, decided to ask Parliament’s watchdog, John Lyon, to look into his behavior.
Mr. Byers stated, “I believe that (Mr. Lyon) will confirm that I followed the rules for MPs and have fully shared my interests outside of Parliament.”
However, Mr. Cameron, the leader of the Conservatives, called for a broader investigation: “We don’t just need an inquiry within Parliament about Stephen Byers, although that’s a good start. We need a government investigation into what these former ministers have done.
“Let’s be clear about what’s important here. These ministers, Hewitt and Byers, were saying they influenced government decisions, they got people hired, and they cost taxpayers money. They’re making these claims, and that goes to the heart of whether the government is trustworthy.”
All the MPs recorded on film denied doing anything wrong and maintained they hadn’t broken any rules. However, current ministers described the actions of their fellow MPs as “appalling” and “ridiculous,” while Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg labeled it as “very, very sleazy.”